One Year
by thearendork
Summary: An AU crossover with Big Hero 6, this chronicles Elsa Arendahl's year of study at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, and how a chance meeting with robotics engineering student Tadashi Hamada will change her. Cover image by comickergirl from Tumblr.
1. 01 - Beginnings and Cherry Blossoms

**Disclaimer:** Frozen and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything.

* * *

"Hey man, I gotta go, I have a meeting with Callaghan at the lab in fifteen minutes," Tadashi declared before gulping down the rest of his coffee, startling Wasabi from his reading.

"Meeting? What for?" his friend asked, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"I have some ideas for my robotics project that I wanted to go over with him."

"Huh? Dude, that's for next year. Isn't it early to start on it? Like, way too early?" Wasabi eyed him dubiously. "We've still got finals to get over with. And it's not like you to get a head start on things. I mean, you're Mr. Procrastination."

"Yeah, well, I want to get a head start on it, okay?" Tadashi replied, cramming his books into his satchel. "This project's important to me, and I want to make sure it'll come out perfect." He glanced up to see Wasabi giving him a measured look. "What?"

"This project of yours—it's what you told me about back then, is it?"

"It's the reason why I enrolled here," he responded, trying to keep his voice even. He felt torn—on one hand, he was excited that he was about to work on something he had dreamed of doing, and under the mentorship of someone he admired greatly. But on the other, it reminded him of what he lost ten years ago.

"I'll go with you. I mean, I'll head to the library to get some ideas and research done. If Mr. Procrastination's starting this early, then it must be an omen or something," Wasabi broke through his musings and stood up to clap Tadashi's shoulder, causing him to stagger a bit.

"Haha, very funny, Wasabi." Tadashi winced and and made his way to the cafe exit.

"Why do you keep calling me that? I spilled wasabi on my shirt one time, dude. One time!" Wasabi hollered as he followed Tadashi.

* * *

It was just a ten-minute walk from the coffee shop to the lab and the library. The two buildings stood side by side at the end of a cherry blossom-lined path, which was usually filled with students hurrying to their classes. But since it was finals week, it was mostly clear save for a few who were on their way to the library.

"Would you hurry up, man? I don't want to be late," Tadashi complained as he shuffled through his notes. Everything has to be perfect, because Callaghan had a strict reputation, and part of that was being a stickler for time. It was said that the professor considered it late to begin a meeting five minutes before the agreed time, so that meant he only had seven minutes left to hustle to the lab and three minutes to make it to prepare.

"You go on ahead. I think I'll just appreciate these cherry blossoms," Wasabi answered absently, catching a petal that flew by between his thick fingers. "You know, there's something poetic about these, don't you think?"

"Well, I don't have time to be poetic. See you later, Wasabi." Without even giving his friend a backward glance, Tadashi quickened his pace, almost jogging as his eyes scanned his notes.

_Lithium ion for battery…going for a non-threatening, 'huggable' design…wonder what Callaghan would say about that?_

He was nervous as hell. Tadashi had worked his butt off to get into Callaghan's robotics program, and three years of hard work was in danger of being undone because there was a possibility that he will be late if he didn't hurry. Late! Oh, what will Tousan say?

_Being on time shows respect, son. Don't forget that._

_I'm trying, Tousan. I'm doing the best I can._

He never had the chance to dwell on that further because of that stupid rock. But in hindsight, a couple of hours later, it was probably the best thing that happened to him.

Right now though, the rock caused his world to go topsy-turvy because he tripped over it, his notes flying through the air at the same time curse escaped from his mouth as he fell to the ground in an undignified heap. He barely registered the sound of a surprised feminine voice somewhere above him.

"Are you okay?" the voice asked.

Tadashi blinked away his confusion to see a pair of brown loafers before him. He glanced up to see the rest: a pair of slender, gently-curved calves and thighs in jeans, a purple cardigan over a green shirt, and…

Her face.

Tadashi's eyes widened as he beheld her. Her concerned, brilliant cerulean gaze framed with thick lashes bored into his startled brown ones. He registered a dainty nose above rosy lips. The spring sun shone brightly behind her, her platinum blonde hair causing a halo around her face.

He was a science guy. Even when there was a girl he liked, he wasn't one to spout nonsense like "I think I died and she was an angel sent from heaven."

But that was exactly what he thought at that precise moment.

"Are you okay?" the girl persisted, bending and resting her hands on her knees, which snapped him out of his daze.

"Ah—yeah! Yeah. I'm fine." He shook his head once briskly to clear it, cringing at how utterly lame he sounded. And he probably should be getting off the ground now, but man, that girl.

_Who is she?_

She smiled with relief which made Tadashi's heart go on overdrive. "Here, let me help you with that," she said, bending down to his level to gather his notes and made him notice that she wore a pair of leather gloves.

He stuttered his thanks when she handed him his notes. "It's no trouble," she replied politely, a slight lilt in her voice suggesting that she was a foreign student. "Do you have everything?"

He nodded jerkily with a wide grin. "Absolutely," he said, ignoring how his brain screamed that he was being lame again. Tadashi made a show of putting his notes into his satchel and brushing himself off. "See? I'm good." He grinned again.

He should probably stop grinning before the girl got creeped out.

Tadashi cleared his throat. "Anyway, uh. Thanks. You know, for helping me and stuff." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

The girl nodded. "Good. You're welcome." She nodded at him and started to turn away, causing him to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm Tadashi. Tadashi Hamada. And you're?"

She stopped and he saw hesitation flash in her eyes before glancing up at him. "Elsa Arendahl." She didn't offer anything more, and he wondered if he turned her off or something. He wasn't sure, but it seemed her demeanor grew a little wary.

He decided to ignore it—he was probably overreacting. "Nice to meet you, Elsa," Tadashi said instead, liking how her name rolled off his tongue.

"Likewise." This time he was sure she was closing herself off, making him wonder if he did anything wrong. He didn't...accidentally grab something, did he? "Take care, Tadashi." With that, she spun on her heel and walked away, her steps a little hurried yet graceful.

He stared after her. He knew he probably shouldn't, considering how Elsa's demeanor changed when he introduced himself, but he couldn't help it. He was utterly captivated by the mysterious blonde.

"Smooth, Hamada. Real smooth," Wasabi came up behind him nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets. "You were a regular Cassanova there."

"Shut up, Wasabi."

Wasabi ignored him. "She probably got weirded out by that bug-eyed look you have right now," he commented. "Speaking of which, it's 9:53—you've got two minutes—"

With that, Tadashi took off like a shot, and it so happened that Elsa was also headed in the same direction. Their eyes met as he sped past her, and once again it felt like time slowed down as interested brown met surprised blue. "Hi and bye, Elsa!" he said over his shoulder, waving. He caught her reaction out of the corner of his eye—startled, as if she couldn't believe he was talking to her. For some reason it made his heart soar, and he didn't know why or cared much.

All he knew was things seem to be off to a great start.

* * *

**_Note: _**_What will happen next? I have no idea. And I don't have a specific plan for this, probably just a bunch of one-shots until my obsession for Elshi runs its course. __I also read a criticism of Tadashi's character, that he was flawless, the perfect older brother. But someone countered that Tadashi as portrayed in the movie was seen through Hiro's eyes, and while Hiro didn't specifically state it, he idolized his older brother, considering how he had reacted to Tadashi's death. So I can only speculate what his flaws are._


	2. 02 - Moments

**Disclaimer:** Frozen and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything.

* * *

Elsa wasn't sure how it happened, but she found herself spending more and more time with Tadashi at the lab. She tried to remember how it started, staring at his back as he fiddled with their robotics project.

She cast her mind back in May, when she first arrived in San Fransokyo as a transfer student from the city of Arendelle, Norway. She had been checking out SFIT's programs to help her prepare for the time when she will have to take over her parents' company—it had taken her about a week to get settled in her new apartment. It would have probably been overwhelming considering how back in Norway she had been waited upon hand and foot, and she was thankful that Kai and Gerda helped her with the necessary paperwork and arrangements, making sure that everything was neat and tidy before they left—having her academic credits ironed out had been a headache, but thanks to her impeccable record, her appeals came through. Back home, her father had been in his prime, healthy and hale, but there's no telling what could happen in the future.

_Nothing is ever permanent._

Elsa had just finished walking around the campus and was contemplating the cherry blossoms when a curse jarred her out of her thoughts, which led to her first encounter with Tadashi Hamada.

She hadn't thought about him at all in the next few months after their first meeting, because she had been right—nothing was permanent.

In between their first meeting and the start of the school term, she received word that her parents had died in a fiery plane crash. Through the haze of grief, she practically lived as a shut-in wraith, venturing out only to buy the necessities she needed. Elsa ignored the persistent calls from Anna, but listened to the voice mails she left over and over again, paralyzed and numb.

"I buried our parents alone, Elsa. Alone!"

She had squeezed her eyes shut and huddled by the door of her bedroom, frost forming underneath her, her sister's message ringing in her ears.

Eventually, a call from Kai reminded her that she needed to pull herself together in time for when school started. "Miss, with your parents…gone, you will need to prepare to take over their company. Miss Anna is preparing as well—she is planning to pursue an advertising and marketing degree when the time comes. As your father's will had stipulated, both of you will inherit their business equally. In the meantime, Mr. Weselton will be the acting CEO of the company."

"Fine, that works for me, Kai. Thank you for letting me know."

The familiar yet always unwelcome stab of pain pierced her chest as she relived her memories. Elsa swallowed and took a deep breath, forcing herself to keep calm—it wouldn't do to lose control and expose her secret, because doing so might hurt people.

Namely, Tadashi.

"What?" Tadashi asked, his hand groping for something on the floor. She realized that he must have felt her eyes on him while his back was turned. "Hey, hand me a philips, would you?" he barreled on, not waiting for her answer.

"Sure, just a second."

Elsa rummaged through Tadashi's toolbox and found the philips screwdriver he had asked for, glad that he was engrossed with what he was doing—it gave her time to school her face into the mask she was careful to wear most of the time. She walked over and placed the screwdriver on his waiting hand, unprepared for the tingles that spread throughout her skin when her fingertips brushed against his palm, and warmth that crept up her neck to suffuse her face.

It has been a couple of days since Tadashi had coaxed her not to wear her ever-present gloves anymore. He had appeared unannounced at her apartment last Saturday with a thermos of hot chocolate and donuts to persuade her to eat breakfast with him at the park. Elsa was mortified—she had just gotten out of bed, not having slept very well because it was one of those miserable nights, and didn't think about how she must have looked until she had flung the door open to find him on the other side. In contrast to her frumpy appearance, he looked…nice. He wore his customary black SFIT baseball cap, blazer, jeans, and sneakers. But then on that day, she noticed how wide his shoulders were, and the t-shirt he wore underneath it gave her the impression that Tadashi kept himself physically fit.

Now where had that thought come from?

"I don't know," she said uncertainly, rubbing her right arm with her left hand as she pushed that weird thought away. "I—"

"Come on, you look like you need a bit of cheering up, and my Aunt Cass's donuts are just the thing," he declared with a lopsided grin. "Well, they are to me—I mean, you know, I don't think you're the type to do stress eating—" at those words Elsa's eyebrow rose—"I mean, they're fresh from the oven." Tadashi stuttered, covering up his faux pas by waving the bag underneath her nose, which made her stomach growl.

"See, even your stomach agrees with you! So what do you say?" He held out his hand invitingly at her. Elsa rolled her eyes in defeat and scowled. _Betrayed by my body,_ she thought, not wanting to admit that she felt absurdly happy that Tadashi wanted to spend time with her.

"Fine," she had grudgingly agreed to hide how she truly felt. "Come in and wait while I get dressed." She went to her room and picked out a cream turtleneck, jeans, and boots, grabbing her brown leather gloves from her dresser. Tadashi had raised his eyebrow curiously when he saw her pulling them on.

"Seriously, you're in San Fransokyo," he gently admonished her while they were on the way to the park. "The weather's beautiful here. Take off those gloves and feel the sun against your skin, it's great!" He grinned at her then, which had given her the shot of courage she needed to do what he had asked.

She wished she had been brave enough to tell him why she wore those damned gloves all the time before.

"Elsa? Are you okay?" Tadashi's soft, concerned voice broke through her musings. He was looking up at her from his cross-legged position on the floor, his brows knitted in a slight frown. She suppressed the explosion of butterflies in her stomach at the sound of his warm, slightly raspy baritone filling her ears.

Elsa clenched her fists and forced herself to smile at him reassuringly. "I'm fine," she said, managing to inject forced cheer in her tone. "I just remembered something."

"Something happy, I hope."

She shrugged, noncommittal. Of course she couldn't tell him. If she did…

If she did, she may well lose the only friend she ever had since Anna.

Elsa couldn't understand how he managed to worm his way past her defenses. Perhaps it was because she had finally succumbed to the loneliness she felt, being this far away from home, and the losses she had endured while being so. And maybe it was because she was more free here, being alone with no one from home to remind her of her condition and its possible consequences. Anna had been just as persistent as Tadashi, always calling, always knocking…how had this guy succeeded where her sister had not?

"You know you can tell me anything, right? Since we're friends?" Tadashi placed the screwdriver on the floor and stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans. Elsa took an involuntary step back.

He was too close for her comfort. She swallowed nervously, tamping down the—fear?

No, Tadashi wasn't someone to be feared. Or was he? He made her feel and experience so many things that left her mind awhirl with confusion, like right now—she wanted to run away but at the same time stay close to him. She savored it whenever he touched her, but couldn't bear to do the same to him.

Damn it, she had become a mass of contradictions in his presence.

Elsa started when she felt him take her hand in his warm ones. "I think you're getting bored," Tadashi said, tilting his head to the side as if trying he was trying to read her thoughts. "Do you want to go home? I'll walk you to your apartment," he offered.

"Oh no, don't trouble yourself," Elsa shook her head and waved her free hand, pulling her other away from his grasp. "I'll just go, leave you to work in peace. I must be a nuisance, being here."

"No you're not. In fact, I'm so glad you're here," he countered, placing his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place. "If it hadn't been for you, I couldn't have figured out what went wrong with Baymax's coding. Remember that? I was being too impatient with him, and you had the patience and focus to figure out where I went wrong. And I wouldn't have known that his earlier problems were caused by tech limitations—I was being too ambitious, and you brought me back to earth and helped me find a new angle. Having a fresh pair of eyes to help me with Baymax—yours—was great. So thank you. Thank you so much for your help." Tadashi paused, looking sheepish, as if he realized he was getting too intense. And he was, because he looked into her eyes so deeply while delivering his short, impassioned speech.

Elsa was unable to tear her gaze away from his, taking in his words and storing them within her heart to make sure she would never, ever forget a word he said.

Tadashi stepped back and rubbed the back of his neck, realizing he was too close. "Sorry," he muttered, clearing his throat. "I tend to get a little carried away when I—uh, talk about Baymax."

Elsa took it as a sign to change the topic, ignoring how her heartbeat pounded rapidly against her chest. "He's very important to you, isn't he?" she prompted, keeping her tone curious but even. She sensed there was a painful story behind Baymax's creation, and she, of all people, knew how it felt when people pried.

Tadashi smiled wistfully and took a deep breath, patting the unfinished project with affection. "Yep," he answered after a beat of silence. He glanced at his watch. "It's 7 o'clock, so maybe it really is time to close up shop. I'll walk you to your apartment, and I'll tell you about Baymax along the way. Deal?"

Elsa smiled, genuinely this time. "Deal."

* * *

They walked along the formerly cherry blossom-strewn path where they first met in companionable silence. Dusk was setting in; stars were starting to peek out from the night sky.

"So," Elsa ventured, glancing at him from the corner of her eye, "what's the story behind Baymax?"

A muscle in Tadashi's jaw ticked and Elsa began to regret bringing the subject up. She opened her mouth to tell him that he didn't have to answer if he wasn't comfortable, but he started to speak.

"I'm building Baymax so he could help people. I know a nursebot isn't exactly something a guy would build." He shook his head, chuckling self-deprecatingly. "I decided to build Baymax when I was eleven years old, after my parents died in a car crash. Hiro—my younger brother—he was only three back then." His voice was clipped and flat, as if reading from a report.

Elsa's heart went out to him. "I'm so sorry," she murmured, unable to keep herself from reaching out to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. At least she and Anna were older when their own parents died—Tadashi and his brother were just kids. "I know how you feel."

Tadashi looked down at her in surprise. "Your own parents are also…?"

She nodded, stoic. "Plane crash somewhere in the Alps. Their bodies were never recovered."

His eyes regarded her with empathy. "All the more reason I should finish Baymax, then."

His words warmed her from the inside. She usually spouted a mechanical response when people referred to her parents' death, but this time she didn't feel so utterly alone.

"I look forward to the day when you do."

* * *

Instead of her apartment, Elsa and Tadashi ended up at his Aunt Cass's café to eat dinner. His aunt had raised her eyebrows at them but didn't comment, but Tadashi's younger brother Hiro grinned widely and asked point-blank if she was his girlfriend, which had her blushing furiously while Tadashi swatted at him with his baseball cap.

"Don't mind that knucklehead. You know how younger siblings are," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. During the course of their friendship Elsa noticed he always did it whenever he was nervous or embarrassed, and she didn't blame him.

_Girlfriend?_

She didn't want to think about that possibility. She shouldn't.

_Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show._

But oh, how she wished she could.


	3. 03 - The Setup

_**Disclaimer**: Frozen and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction._

_**Note:** I had to add in additional dialogue when they started stargazing because it just didn't flow right for me—had a hard time figuring out what exactly bugged me about it, until it clicked. So I deleted the old Chapter Three and put this one up. I'm about to start Chapter Four, but there's no guarantee when I'll post it because I have work and life to focus on. I hope that answers your question on whether changing the cover of One Year makes sense, book-wolf 3. Also, if you want to be technical about it, I didn't change the cover of One Year—I changed my avatar picture, and since I didn't really have a cover for it, it used my avatar picture as a default cover. So why did I change my avatar? Because I damn well feel like it._

_Constructive criticism is very much appreciated. Suggestions are welcome. But I won't hesitate to call out unhelpful comments._

* * *

Tadashi Hamada wasn't exactly someone you'd call subtle. Easygoing, yes, but when he gets excited about something, he'd have no problem broadcasting it to the world—the science lab had gotten so sick of his excited whoops of triumph and goofy dancing when testing went well for him that he got consigned Room A113 so that the others could code and test in peace.

Wasabi thanked Callaghan's foresight for putting Tadashi in A113. Because now that he and Elsa were working as project partners on Baymax, with her taking on most of programming duties, Tadashi has been absolutely insufferable—the googly-eyed look he sported when he thought Elsa wasn't looking and his soft sighs were vaguely disturbing for Wasabi. On the other hand, he was happy for Tadashi's rather dumb luck that he gets to spend a lot of time alone with the girl of his dreams.

_Man, Hamada sure knows how to pick 'em,_ he mused, watching his friend pull out a chair for her. A slight smile tugged at her lips, and he returned it with a wide one of his own that Wasabi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight. Tadashi may not be known for his subtlety, but when it came to girls, he was Mr. Play It Cool. Three-quarters of the female population in campus had crushes on him which didn't affect him at all, making it a little annoying to be around the guy sometimes, because feminine giggles always followed in his wake.

Even Gogo and Honey Lemon had not been immune when they first became acquainted with Tadashi. But Tadashi was such a good guy that even if their affections were not returned, they eventually became friends with him, which turned out to be for the best.

He found his match, however, in the Norwegian transfer student Elsa Arendahl. Had Wasabi not seen it for himself the day Tadashi and Elsa met, he never would have believed it.

_Then again, the guy loves a challenge, and Elsa's a tough nut to crack,_ he conceded, biting into his sandwich.

"Now that's just sad," Gogo drawled, dropping into a chair beside him.

"What is?"

"Hamada being a lovestruck fool. It's like—"

"—invasion of the body snatchers, people!" Fred's exuberant voice interrupted as he set his brown bag on the table. "Maybe Elsa has superpowers or something—like, she can control people's minds!"

"I thought you said something about body snatchers," Honey Lemon remarked as she joined them.

Gogo cracked her ever-present gum. "What does he see in her, anyway?" she wondered out loud.

"Jealous?" Fred smirked, waggling his eyebrows. "I mean, you had—ow!" he yelped, rubbing his upper arm when Gogo punched him.

"Zip it, pal," she growled. "Unless want a knuckle sandwich for lunch."

"Cool it, you guys!" Honey exclaimed to placate the two. "Anyway, Elsa's nice and smart. I sat beside her once in class and she showed me this neat trick with—"

"Yeah, but she's so quiet," Gogo interrupted. "I mean, Tadashi's gotten her to sit with us a couple of times, and she just sat there smiling," she said, gesturing with her hand. "You can tell she's just being polite and wants to be left alone."

"Takes one to know one, eh?" At that Gogo raised her hand as if to backhand Fred, who shrank away from her with a snicker.

"I don't even know why I put up with you," she grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Guys." Wasabi brought his palm down on the table to get their attention. "Look, it's a good thing Elsa's got Tadashi distracted now because we can talk about what to get him for his birthday, which is three days from now. October 24th. Any suggestions?" he asked, taking out a small notepad and pen.

His friends fell silent, lost in thought. "Screwdriver?" Fred ventured with a shrug.

"Come on, try harder, Freddie," Honey Lemon urged with a smile. "Oh, I know! There's this book on C+ that he's wanted to get—"

"Hiro already got that for him," Wasabi supplied. "How about something sensible, like a bath set?"

"Only you would come up with something like that."

"Yeah, well, I don't see you coming up with a great idea, genius. You suggested a screwdriver!"

"It was just a warmup!"

"Hey, Gogo, any suggestions?" Honey Lemon cut in between Wasabi and Fred's bickering. The petite biker's eyes were narrowed thoughtfully as she looked at something in the distance. Honey followed her line of sight which fell on Tadashi and Elsa. He was talking excitedly, his hands waving about with enthusiasm, while she listened patiently, all her focus toward him.

"Aw, would you look at them. They look great together, don't they?" Honey said with a little sigh, clasping her hands over her chest. Gogo grunted and took a swig from her can of soda, keeping her eyes on Tadashi and Elsa. Meanwhile, Honey's comment drew Wasabi and Fred's attention, and all four of them observed the two sitting at the other end of the cafeteria. They watched Elsa's small smile widen until she covered up a laugh with her hand, which caused Tadashi to turn a brilliant shade of red before laughing as well.

"You know..." Gogo glanced at Honey, whose smile was growing into an excited grin.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"The cafeteria's not really a good place for a date, isn't it?" Wasabi commented.

"Nope, it isn't."

"Oooh, oooh! I know this great place, it's perfect!"

"It better not be a dive, Fred," Gogo warned.

"Come on, gimme a little credit! Leave it to me." Fred thumped his chest with confidence. "Because Mister Love here has an awesome idea."

"Mister Love?" Wasabi pulled a face.

"If those two break up before they even start dating, I'm holding you responsible."

"Hey, come on, I've read shoujo manga—Faster Than a Kiss was cool—"

"And that makes _you_ an expert?"

"Oh, I've read that one, Freddie, and I think it's really good!"

Wasabi sighed and bit into his sandwich again, tuning out his friends' good-natured bickering. His speculative gaze fell upon the unsuspecting Tadashi and Elsa once more. Both of them were pretty deep into a discussion of...well, who knew? Elsa was rather tight-lipped during the few times she joined them, not really contributing to the conversation enough to give him an idea what she was like other than nice and polite, but distant. Still, when it was just her and Tadashi, she seemed more relaxed and open—Wasabi was no expert on behavior and his luck with the ladies bordered on abysmal, but he was willing to bet that Elsa was also attracted to Tadashi but was in serious denial. Was she even conscious of the way she focused on him, a slight smile on her face as she nodded at what he said?

Tadashi laughed at Elsa's response and she looked pleased that she was able to get that reaction out of him. That, if Wasabi remembered this article about behavior and attraction, was an indication that she was definitely interested in Tadashi.

"Won't there be a meteor shower on Tadashi's birthday?" he wondered idly, scratching his chin. That got his friends' attention—three sets of eyes swung toward him and blinked.

"Oh...I see where you're getting at," Fred said after a beat of silence, nodding, while Gogo and Honey looked at each other with a bit of confusion.

"Care to explain?" Gogo asked.

"Alright guys, listen carefully." Wasabi leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "Here's the plan for Tadashi's birthday."

* * *

"They said they'll meet up with us at Eagle Point," Tadashi informed Elsa as she as locked the door of her apartment. "There's a meteor shower tonight, at least according to Wasabi."

Elsa merely smiled and nodded, which made his breath catch in his throat. _God, she's so beautiful,_ he thought, cringing at how lovesick he was being. But he couldn't help it—the more he got to know her, the deeper he fell.

It was a good thing Tadashi met her just before finals week, because if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have aced his exams. He had never studied so hard in his life—and he poured all his energy into studying so he could avoid thinking of her. Aunt Cass was so proud of him when Callaghan, when he stopped by the cafe for a quick lunch, mentioned that if he kept his grades up, he would be in the running for magna cum laude. Tadashi only laughed at that and swore he will never tell Aunt Cass that he got top marks because he wanted to forget a girl.

For all the midnight oil he burned while studying, those brilliant blue eyes remained seared in his memory.

He wasn't sure what exactly made him fall for her fast and hard—sure, she was stunningly beautiful, but there has to be more to her than just good looks, right? He had thanked his lucky stars that she ended up being at Callaghan's advanced robotics class and made sure to sit next to her the next day. When Callaghan asked their class to pair up for their year-ender project, he asked her to be his partner.

"Want to pair up?" Tadashi asked, keeping his tone casual. But he was sweating bullets while waiting for her answer and barely kept from whooping in triumph when she had agreed.

She had this air of melancholy that intrigued him and made him feel protective toward her. He found himself seizing every opportunity to make her smile, by cracking jokes or telling her stories. He wanted to know why she seemed distant and intimidating, because he honestly couldn't imagine why someone would purposefully stay away from making friends. He'd seen how her cold, flat stare had stopped even the usually clueless, self-proclaimed players at school dead in their tracks.

He was thankful it had never been directed toward him.

Tadashi was brought out of his musings when Elsa stopped short beside him, a look of apprehension flashing across her face. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it," she replied, waving a hand. But in the months they've worked together over Baymax, he learned how to read her. The slight tension at the corners of her mouth suggested she was uncomfortable over something, and following the line of her sight, his gaze fell upon his scooter.

He understood immediately.

"We can ask Wasabi to come pick us up," Tadashi offered. He had a hunch she wanted to avoid riding with him since it meant wrapping her arms around his waist. He wanted to kick himself for forgetting one crucial thing about Elsa—that she avoided touching people as much as possible. The gloves she had always worn previously were an obvious clue, and it was only very recently that she had stopped wearing those. He had been proud of himself for managing to convince Elsa not to wear them, but she was still very much self-contained—he was the one who always initiated contact.

Tadashi wondered how much she humored him, which was quickly followed by hoping she wasn't creeped out by him. And of course, why she practically shunned human contact.

"No, that'll be too much trouble," Elsa said. She straightened her shoulders and clenched her jaw slightly, as if to prepare herself. "Let's go."

"Are you sure?" he persisted. "Really, it won't be any trouble for Wasabi—"

"I'm sure." Abruptly, with the slightest edge of something in her tone, as if she was trying to convince herself. Tadashi wanted to say that he wanted her to be comfortable, but something told him he shouldn't push her.

He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the surge of nervous anticipation that made his stomach churn. "If you say so," he accepted, getting on his scooter. He cleared his throat to retrieve the extra helmet and held it out for Elsa, who eyed it apprehensively for a split second before taking it from him. Their fingertips brushed, and he berated himself for making such a big deal about it—his heart had skipped a beat.

Tadashi swallowed and stared straight ahead when she slid behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. God help him, this was the closest she had ever been around him since he met her back in May—he couldn't see her, but he felt her all around him. Her scent, light and fresh, reminded him of fragrant green tea and quiet winter evenings spent with his grandmother back in Japan.

It was exquisite torture to feel her presence around him but not see her.

_I'd better stop thinking like a damn romance novel and get going, _he steeled himself, revving the scooter's engine. "Ready?"

"Yes," Elsa answered, her breath tickling his ear. He tightened his hold on the handlebars to maintain control because she was so close.

"Hold on tight."

She complied and left him breathless. He shook his head quickly to clear it and focus, because if something happened to her while he drove, he will never forgive himself.

They roared off into the night, with Tadashi thinking how much he wanted the trip to last forever if it meant having Elsa so close.

* * *

"We're here," Tadashi announced, slowing down and cutting the engine. He parked his scooter beside a tree—Elsa couldn't tell what kind because of the darkness, but the light from the moon and stars were adequate enough. "Wasabi said he'll be bringing the food and telescope, we just need to show up."

"Looks like they're here already and have set things up." Elsa pointed further down the path, where she could see the outline of a telescope.

"Cool." Tadashi placed a warm hand on the small of her back to usher her toward the spot. She tensed at the contact but was glad he didn't remove his hand. "It's a little dark, be careful," he warned. "Here, let me…" he took her elbow in his other hand as if to guide her, and while she relished it, she also felt a flash of irritation at how he treated her—as if she couldn't do it herself!

"I can walk, you know," Elsa censured him mildly, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, sorry." He dropped his hands to his sides quickly. "It's just…this path seems a bit rocky, you know? Don't want you to trip or something."

The wind suddenly howled all around them, causing Tadashi to huddle into his jacket for warmth. It was strong enough to whip Elsa's ponytail and bangs, and made him notice that she wasn't wearing a jacket.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked, already shrugging out of his. "Here, why don't you—"

"It's okay," she cut him off. "The cold doesn't bother me." A corner of Elsa's mouth tugged up involuntarily in a sardonic little smile and she hoped the darkness covered it up. She appreciated his gesture, she truly did, because it made her feel human instead of…something unnatural.

"But—"

"I'm fine."

Tadashi relented and shrugged his jacket back on reluctantly. "Well, let me know if you are," he said. Elsa nodded, pasting a smile on her face to reassure him.

She clenched her hands into tight fists to fight for control. _Not now,_ she berated herself, hugging her middle. Thankfully, Tadashi didn't notice her sudden episode since he went ahead toward the spot where the telescope was.

She wished she had her gloves.

A muffled curse reached her ears which made her look at Tadashi in surprise. The glow from his phone illuminated his expression of disbelief and exasperation. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Uh—well—" he floundered. "That is to say—" he gulped, and Elsa wondered with rising confusion what was going on.

"They're not coming," he croaked out.

Elsa's response were a couple of blinks and a flat "What."

"They're not coming, Elsa. They…" he sighed, taking off his black baseball cap and running a hand through his hair before rubbing his neck. "They set us up."

Elsa frowned, not liking where this was going. "Set us up for what?" she asked.

"I—I don't know, they probably think—oh God, I'm so sorry for this, Elsa. I should have known something smelled fishy when Wasabi asked me to pick you up. Or something. I'm just—I'm sorry," he babbled.

Elsa slowly realized what Tadashi meant. Wasabi and the others had "set them up" for a…

Well, she may have kept herself mostly isolated back in Norway because of her condition, but she wasn't naïve and blind. She knew Tadashi was interested in her. It was rather obvious in everything he did around her. And even in everything he did when he thought she wasn't watching.

_This is getting out of hand, _Elsa brooded as she shouldered past Tadashi, heading toward the telescope. She desperately needed something to do to calm down, and the first thing that came to mind was to calibrate the damn telescope. She worked quickly to adjust the settings, going on autopilot, while sorting out her muddled, conflicting feelings.

_I should end things with Tadashi because I could hurt him. I WILL hurt him, just like I did with Anna. But if I did, I will still hurt him, won't I? _

"Elsa? What are you doing?" she heard him ask hesitantly. She didn't even need to look to know that he held his cap between his two hands, troubled brown eyes underneath a knitted brow. Because that's how much she knew him now—she could more or less predict how he'd act.

"What does it look like? I'm adjusting the telescope."

"I…I'm sorry, I'm confused. So…you're not mad?"

The hope in his voice broke her heart. Still bent over the telescope, she closed her eyes, letting a tear escape before composing herself enough to answer. "Should I be?" she said, thankful for all the years of concealing her true feelings had helped keep her voice from wavering.

"Well, uh, I didn't—I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

"Seems a waste if we didn't take this opportunity. I checked the weather before we left—skies should be clear enough to watch the meteor shower." Elsa straightened up, meeting Tadashi's slightly confused look with a neutral one of her own. She didn't want him to see the turmoil she felt within, nor did she want him to think she was hiding something.

_I'm so selfish, but I want one night. Just one night with him like this. That's all I ask, and more than I probably deserve._

She relished the way a slow smile broke across his face. Branded it into her memories, because after tonight, she will resign herself to spending the rest of the year—the rest of her life—without it.

* * *

Despite the initial awkwardness, the rest of the night went without a hitch. Besides the telescope, Wasabi and the others had left them with a picnic basket with some fruits, drinks, and sandwiches, and a couple of blankets to fend off the autumn chill. They had lain on their backs to watch the meteors streak across the clear night sky, with Tadashi sneaking a couple of glances to see Elsa's expression. The look of wonder on her face ensnared him, making it difficult to tear his gaze away so as not to be obvious.

"The sky's awake," Elsa murmured suddenly.

"What's that?" Tadashi asked, glad to have an excuse to look at her. Elsa chuckled quietly and turned her head to face him.

"It's something my sister used to say when she wants to play in the middle of the night. 'The sky's awake, and I'm awake, so we have to _play.'" _she quoted. They were lying side by side, so close that his and her pinkies were almost touching.

Yet he didn't dare cross the distance. Should he, though?

Gathering his courage, he tested the waters, nudging her finger with his. Elsa flicked an inquiring glance at him—he answered by slowly—giving her a chance to refuse—clasping her hand, entwining her fingers with his. Tadashi's heart soared when she didn't pull away, savoring the daintiness of her hand in his. He let the pads of his fingers caress her knuckles, noting how her pupils dilated at his touch. He smiled crookedly at her, lost in her eyes momentarily, before wrenching his away to look at the sky once more.

Tadashi didn't want to come on too strong.

"She also used to ask me if I wanted to build a snowman a lot when we were kids," she said softly. "We did that a lot back then, playing in the snow. Because, you know, Norway rather has a lot of it."

That was another thing Tadashi really liked about Elsa. It's not apparent because people see her as quiet and serious, but she has a dry, slightly sarcastic sense of humor. Now is probably not the best time to rhapsodize on Elsa's sense of humor—he could hear a tinge of sadness and wistfulness in her voice, and he wanted to make her smile.

God, that smile. It always made him feel like a hero when she flashed that smile at him.

_Get your head back in the game, Hamada. Think of something that'll make her happy._

But what? He sensed that pressing for her for details would spoil the mood, and he didn't want that. Another time, perhaps. He decided to go by another tack.

"I wonder what it'd be like if my brother met your sister," he began. "You've met Hiro, right? He's such a smart ass. Then again, he's thirteen, so it's kind of a given, really." He glanced at Elsa, who was studying him intently. "So, uh...how old is your sister?" he asked, trying to ignore the full effect of her stare at him.

"She's seventeen." Elsa looked up once again to watch the meteors streaking across the sky.

"Three years younger than you, huh?"

"Yes."

Tadashi racked his brain for something else to say. Getting answers from Elsa was like squeezing blood from a stone, but if he kept at it, he had a feeling it'll pay off, not for him, but for her. As to what it what it is, he had no idea, but he was a science guy. He was trained to ask questions to get to the right answer. He hypothesized Elsa was hiding a deep hurt within her, and that it had something to do with her sister.

"She's probably a little more mature than Hiro," Tadashi hedged. "That knucklehead...he can be so much more because he's smarter than me. Hiro graduated from high school a couple of months ago."

That caught Elsa's attention. "Didn't you say he was thirteen?"

"Well, he's a genius. But he's wasting his talent on bot fighting bets." He sighed. "I'm worried about him."

Elsa remained quiet for a minute before speaking. "You must be proud of Hiro. My sister Anna, she...she's one of the bravest, strongest persons I know. Anna..." she trailed off, her eyes roving as she lost herself in thought. "She'd be the kind of person who'd jump in headfirst to do the craziest stuff. I heard she broke her arm once when she rode her bike down the stairs."

Tadashi frowned. Something didn't add up. She heard? Did that mean Elsa didn't see her sister much? "Rode her bike down the stairs?" he echoed, choosing to focus on that. Elsa chuckled, the sound a combination of fond remembrance and bittersweetness.

"Exactly." She sighed, her smile melting into an expression of longing and wistfulness. "She's much stronger than I am. I...I miss her."

Ah. So he was right, the sisters were separated. "Well, you can always call her, right?" he ventured tentatively. Because really, that was the sensible thing to do, talk to someone you miss.

Isn't it?

Elsa, who always kept a tight rein on her emotions, didn't respond. Tadashi decided it was enough prying on his part tonight. But inwardly, he swore he wouldn't give up on Elsa, until he figured out what made her tick. What made her her happy. Because that's all he ever wanted for her.

Her sister Anna was the key.

The display soon ended and it was time to go. "Do you think we should get the telescope back to Wasabi?" Elsa asked as she folded the blankets they used neatly. Another thing about Elsa—she could give Wasabi a run for his money when it came to being a neatnik. Her side of the lab was immaculate, with papers and books properly stacked, her computer regularly dusted, and her desk always wiped clean of filth at the end of the day. He didn't consider himself a slob, but he had a bad habit of leaving things scattered around, especially once he got in too deep tinkering and testing Baymax. Good thing Elsa was there to hand him his tools—she kept a better track of them than he ever did.

"I guess," he said. "You're going to have to carry it on your back, though, since we don't have enough room on my scooter."

About forty-five minutes later, he pulled up before her apartment. She got off the scooter and handed him the telescope case, which he got and slung over his shoulder. "I had a great time, Tadashi," Elsa began, pulling off her helmet and handing it to him.

"Same here. Best birthday ever," he agreed with a wide smile.

"I-it's your birthday?" Elsa looked stricken. "Oh no—I didn't get you a present!"

"Ah, don't worry about that," he waved her consternation off. "I had fun, and the memories tonight created are the best gifts I could ask for."

"Still…"

"Really. Don't worry about it."

Awkward silence.

"Um, well, good night then," Elsa broke the silence. She was twisting her hands nervously, as if she were gathering her courage for something. Before he could ask, she reached out and braced a hand over his shoulder, and leaned close.

She hugged him. And not just a quick, awkward one given by a person unused to hugs—she embraced him as tightly as she could, one of her hands cupping the back of his neck to tangle in his hair. He shifted so he could return the gesture, his arms snaking around her slender waist, and he breathed in the intoxicating scent of her hair deeply.

Tadashi had no idea how he managed to stay calm as she embraced him, but he closed his eyes and concentrated on nothing but her. He felt her heart beating against his chest—a bit quick, but steady and soothing.

Elsa started to pull away and he loosened his hold. But he was unprepared for the next thing she did.

She kissed him. Gently and slowly, on his cheek, before pulling away completely.

Tadashi was pretty sure he looked like a deer caught in headlights. He blinked a few times rapidly before raising a hand to the spot where she kissed him.

"Whuh—what was that for?" he stammered. "Not that I didn't like it, but—" he was silenced by a slender finger over his lips.

"I had a great time," she said, smiling. Tadashi stared at her intently—he wasn't sure, but something felt wrong. There was a slight tremor in her voice, as if she were holding back an intense emotion. "Good night, Tadashi."

"Yeah. Good night."

He watched as she walked toward the door of her apartment, raising a hand when she looked back at him over her shoulder. The sound of her door closing snapped him out of his momentary daze.

If it hadn't been for that last look she gave him, Tadashi would have probably shouted with happiness and roared off into the night, adrenaline pumping through his veins. But then…

_Why did it seem like she was saying goodbye?_


	4. 04 - Don't Look Back

**Disclaimer:** Frozen and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything.

* * *

Elsa leaned against the door and closed her eyes before sliding down to huddle on the floor. She rested her forehead against her knees, trying to make sense of her feelings—giddy happiness over what had transpired tonight with Tadashi liberally mixed with regret that their burgeoning friendship will have to end soon. Why had she even encouraged it in the first place? The attention Tadashi had lavished on her was like a drug, helping her forget that she was unnatural. That his friendship (but was it really friendship between them when it felt so much more?) calmed the storm inside of her somewhat.

Flakes of snow started to swirl gently around her huddled form. As always there was no escape from the storm.

There will never be—only temporary ones, in the form of her medication and him. However, since she had made the decision to cut him off from her life, her pills are all she will have left. She had been relieved that she only had to take them twice a day and at minimal dosage—thankful that the gloves had given her some semblance of control, but ever since Tadashi had convinced her to ditch them, she feared she would need them more than ever at some point in the future. Then again, with him around, Elsa felt…braver. Happier and less anxious. His steady presence had turned into her safe harbor.

What will happen to her once he is gone from her life, like Anna?

Letting out a heavy sigh, Elsa got to her feet and trudged to her room to prepare for bed. By then the snow had disappeared—for the thousandth time, she wished she knew how to stop it. She showered, brushed her teeth, dried her hair, and changed into her blue plaid flannel pajamas, intending to crawl under the covers to let sleep take over. But her gaze fell on the bottle of pills sitting on her dresser—it was almost time to take them, and she would need its calming effects as thoughts of Tadashi brought a memory from almost three months ago came rushing back…

* * *

"Hey." Tadashi tapped Elsa's shoulder, making her jump a bit in her chair. She had been deep into Baymax's program, trying to trace the bug that kept making the robot's database crash and the other that made it act crazy—she was more concerned over that ever since Baymax had knocked Tadashi unconscious last week—that she didn't notice how much time flew by. "It's fifteen minutes to ten. The lab's about to be closed."

"Oh. I didn't realize I'd been working that long." She began to feel the effects of sitting before the computer—an aching back, a slightly throbbing right temple, and tired eyes. She rubbed her eyes behind her glasses then stretched, grimacing as she felt the muscles of her back protest. The movement caused her black long-sleeved v-neck shirt to ride up slightly, exposing a bit of her belly, but at the moment she didn't care. When she opened her eyes, she caught Tadashi looking at her with his mouth slightly agape. "What?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Uh...nothing. Just that, you know...maybe you shouldn't work that hard," he sputtered a bit, blinking. "I mean, we're well ahead of schedule." He jerked his chin toward the Gantt chart pinned over her desk. "Are you always this workaholic?"

Elsa considered, leaning back against her chair to stare at the ceiling. "Now that I think about it, yes, I suppose I am," she answered him. What else was she supposed to do? Ever since she kept herself away from Anna, she had found herself with a lot of time on her hands, and keeping busy by studying had been her way to take her mind off her troubles. She gravitated toward the maths and sciences, appreciating the cold, hard logic behind those exacting disciplines. There were minimal feelings involved in them compared to literature and history. She loved those as well, but those had reminded her of what she was missing.

That is, living.

Elsa mentally shook away those thoughts, careful to keep a poker face. Now was not the time to brood—it was time to go home, and as Tadashi had said, the lab was about to be closed for the night.

"Hey, you want to grab a bite to eat? You've been at it for the past two hours," Tadashi suggested. "I know this place that serves great shawarma."

Elsa hesitated. She should be taking her medication at 10:30, and while it was loose in terms of timing, she liked sticking to a strict schedule. A schedule made things easier, more orderly and controlled. Time was one of the few things she had control over, after all.

Her stomach growled in demand.

"Your stomach's trying to tell you something," he pointed out, the beginnings of an amused grin tugging the corners of his lips upward. She pursed her own and pulled a wry face in response.

"Very funny, Hamada," she deadpanned.

"Come on," he wheedled. "Would it tempt you if I sprung for your meal? Please say yes—I would love to take you out and bask in the light of your lovely company." Tadashi grinned and nodded encouragingly, clasping his hands over his chest and waggling his eyebrows. He looked so ridiculous that a laugh bubbled out of her, and she covered it up by coughing into her fist.

"Fine," she relented, rising from her chair as if it were a throne and assuming a queenly mien. "I will grace your meal with my presence, peasant."

"She said yes!" her project partner whooped, punching a fist through the air before doing a...what did Americans call it? A victory dance?

"Hey, pipe down, will you? Really, there's no need for that sort of theatrics," Elsa chided him and glanced at the glass walls to see if anyone saw what had happened.

"Sorry," Tadashi apologized, a little breathless. "I was trying to make you laugh because you looked so serious the entire day. And I really am excited to spend time with you outside of the lab." He stopped, as if realizing he had said too much. Elsa watched as a slow blush spread throughout his cheeks, but she was pretty sure she was blushing as well—a telltale warmth was creeping up her neck. "Hang on, that came out wrong," he backtracked. "What I meant was I'd like to get to know you better, since we're project partners and all. We're here in the lab for four hours three times a week, and all I know about you is one, your name, two, you're from Norway, and three, you're really, really smart. And four, just now, a bit of a smart ass. So...yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck, which he seemed to be doing a lot around her.

Elsa didn't know what to say. _A smart ass?_ she wondered. _No one's ever said that to me before. Then again, no one's ever come close enough to know that for themselves. Except him._

_Because he's the only one I've allowed to come close enough to as well._

Tadashi cleared his throat. "Hello? Anyone home behind those pretty blue eyes?" He waved a hand over her face.

"Sorry, I zoned out. Yeah, maybe I really do need to eat."

The joking expression on his face vanished. He tilted his head and inspected her closely, his brow furrowing. "What?" Elsa asked self-consciously, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Do I have something on my face?" She began to wring her hands, a nervous habit.

"No, but I did wonder if you've been eating and resting well," he replied. "You work hard a lot." She saw his gaze dart down toward her gloved hands and back up to her face, and hoped he wouldn't ask her about it. One thing that made her choose SFIT out of all the schools she had visited in San Fransokyo was her habit of wearing gloves would be the least strange of all she had witnessed—there was this guy who walked around wearing the school mascot costume all the time, for example.

Elsa swallowed hard, feeling the full effect of those brown eyes boring into hers. No one had ever looked at her that intently before aside from her family, Kai, and Gerda. "Well, you're right, so...let's go, then?" She gestured toward the door with her head and was relieved when Tadashi nodded.

She convinced herself that she could break her self-imposed rule on schedules for tonight. What harm can being late in taking her medication do?

Next thing she knew, everything had plunged into darkness.

* * *

Elsa's phone chirped to let her know she had a text message, startling her out of her woolgathering. The gadget's screen glowed white as it sat next to her medication. She picked it up and read the text message from Tadashi, her heart wrenching at his simple, heartfelt message.

_I had a great time tonight. Thanks for coming with me. Best birthday I ever had._

She read it a few times before voicing out her thought. "I'm about to ruin it, Tadashi. I'm sorry," Elsa whispered, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. She put her phone down and reached for her medication, taking out two from the bottle and downing it with a couple of gulps of water. Then she crawled to bed, hoping sleep would come.

But she knew it wouldn't. Not tonight. Not when memories of that night assailed her.

It was the night she let her guard down and finally, after all the years of loneliness, gained a friend.

* * *

"What happened?" Elsa demanded, her voice low and tight with tension. She hated the dark for the unwanted memories it brought. "Did we get locked in?"

"Probably, but we've still got ten minutes to get out of here. Did they lock up early?" Tadashi's disembodied voice reached her ears. "Hang on, let me make a phone call."

Elsa took inhaled deeply, trying to keep calm. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness, and the weak moonlight streaming in from the window helped her see the outline of Tadashi's figure a few feet away on her left. She groped her way toward her table, which thankfully was only a few steps away, and felt for her phone. The glow of the phone's touchscreen was comforting.

But it didn't last long. Her heart plummeted when she saw the words "No Service" on the upper right hand corner of the screen.

She hoped Tadashi's provider had better service.

"Dammit!"

_That can't be good._ "What's wrong?" Elsa asked, dreading the inevitable.

"No service. I'm sorry."

Elsa shook her head then realized it was a futile gesture. "Don't be, this isn't your fault," she replied, clenching her fists to keep the storm at bay. _Oh God, please, not now!_

Tadashi sighed. "Well, the good news is, we're not going to starve to death here. They'll have whatever the problem is fixed by tomorrow at the latest." Elsa heard his footsteps and the sound of rummaging through cabinets. "I'm pretty sure I have a flashlight in here somewhere..." he mumbled.

The word tomorrow rang in her ears. She can't stay here in the dark in a small room for that long! And her medication—she needed to take it now more than ever.

_Stop being irrational! This is going to be fixed very soon. Don't feel. Don't. Feel!_

"Huh, power's out, but they left the airconditioning on? Weird."

She must have made a strangled sort of noise, because she felt his warm hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

_No, I am not okay, I want to get out of here right now! Who knows what will happen? _"Yeah," she replied in a clipped tone. "I just—" she stopped. _I'm what? Afraid of the dark? Afraid I will lose control? I can't tell him that._

Tadashi, ever perceptive, squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. She stiffened at his touch and he dropped his hand. "Sorry," he muttered, backing off.

"You were just trying to make me feel better. I'll be okay."

No, not really. Not until she got out of here and took her medication.

Her project partner exhaled loudly and looked around. "You might feel better if you sat over there. Hang on." He grabbed her chair and pushed it toward the window where it was the brightest then guided her by the shoulders to the spot. "Stay here," he instructed. "I've got an idea."

"Let's hear it first," she said, mostly to distract herself from her rising anxiety.

"Well..." Tadashi hesitated. "What if I hacked into the lab's electronic lock so we can bust out of here?"

Elsa frowned. "Are you crazy? Do you want to get expelled?"

"No, but you're obviously not cool with the situation. Unless you want to jump out the window, which isn't something I'd advise since we're on the tenth floor. I'd rather risk expulsion than have you break your neck."

"Don't be stupid," she snapped. Dammit, the anxiety's getting the better of her. "Besides, what'll you use? Power's out, remember?"

"Got a laptop in here somewhere...ah, here we go." The sound of a computer being booted up filled the room. A few seconds later, she spotted Tadashi when his computer gave off a feeble light. "Now if I could just..."

"Tadashi, no." Elsa stood up and walked toward him. He was sitting on the floor by the room's door, trying to figure out how to connect the computer to the electronic lock. She crouched down to his level and forcibly closed the laptop shut. "I won't let you risk it."

"Why not? It's just an electronic lock. They're not going to notice it," he protested. "Besides, it's their fault this happened."

Her response was a flat look. "No."

"So, what, we're just going to sit here and wait for help?" Tadashi's voice was starting to rise.

"That's the best course of action, yes." She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, returning his irritated glare with her own. Their battle of wills ceased when he sighed in defeat.

"Fine," he grumbled, putting the laptop back where he got it. "You win. Happy?" he pouted.

Tadashi looked so much like a boy deprived of his sweets that Elsa couldn't help but smirk. "Yes. Thank you for listening to me. You did say I was, and I quote, really really smart," she said, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"I also said you were a smart ass."

"That I am, I guess." She crawled to sit next to Tadashi, who was now leaning his back against the door, one leg stretched out and the other pulled up, his right forearm resting against his knee.

She really did feel better. Which was weird considering the situation she was in. But she guessed it had something to do with the little argument she had with Tadashi, which had distracted her from her rising anxiety, and the banter they had just now.

Unfortunately, remembering why they were in this situation in the first place caused it to spike right back up. Elsa gulped and took sucked in a breath. _You've got Tadashi with you. Stop worrying. Don't feel,_ she commanded herself.

"Elsa." This time, Tadashi sounded serious. "You're not looking good. We need to find a way out of here if it's causing you a lot of worry."

"I..." she clenched her jaw before continuing. "I take anxiety and depression medication," Elsa blurted out before she could even think. "But really, this is the first time I'm missing a dose. I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad." She waved her hand dismissively when his face took on a concerned frown.

She wondered what possessed her to blurt that out to Tadashi. Was it because of their situation? Or was it because he reminded her so much of Anna—cheerful and prone to making impulsive decisions for her sake? Had she missed her sister so much that she started to allow Tadashi to fill that void?

It was time to be honest with herself—Elsa wanted a friend. Despite her unusual abilities and issues, she was still human, and wanted companionship. Tadashi was right there, had said it outright that he wanted to be that person. And she was selfish enough to take him up on his offer.

But would telling him about her medication change his mind? _Oh God, I shouldn't have told him,_ she realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She was such a fool. Who wanted to be friends with someone with a disorder? Two disorders, even?

"I see."

Misery replaced anxiety, but she steeled herself against it. "Still want to be friends?" Elsa asked sardonically, raising an eyebrow. God, why was she being mean to him? Had she forgotten basic courtesy in her self-imposed isolation?

"Yeah. And now that we're friends—because, you know, we were more like acquaintances before—tell me how I can make you feel better." Tadashi's face held no judgment, only understanding. His brown eyes regarded her with kindness, not pity. "My Aunt Cass, she used to take anxiety medication too," he revealed. "She's a very busy woman and she's also got her hands full with two boys, me and my brother Hiro."

"Used to?" Elsa echoed.

"Yep. But she hated the way it made her feel sometimes. You know, sluggish and uncoordinated. With her work, she can't afford to be like that," Tadashi answered. "She's a cafe owner," he continued in response to her unasked question. "The Lucky Cat Cafe." He quirked a grin at her. "Aunt Cass's donuts are awesome. I'll bring you some tomorrow."

Elsa couldn't help but smile back slightly. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Both of them fell silent, with her racking her brain for something to talk about. At the back of her mind she knew he was distracting her with small talk, but what's better, it was working. So she might as well play along and see where it goes.

"Your Aunt Cass—what medication does she take?" she asked, wincing inwardly after a second. Of all the topics she could have picked, why did she choose the one that reminded her of their predicament? She really had a tendency to shoot herself in the foot sometimes.

"Uh...can't remember, sorry. But you know what she does to help with her anxiety? Bubble baths. Warm ones, the bubblier, the better, she swears. And hiking in the woods every two weeks." Tadashi stared off into the distance. "She took me and Hiro one time along with her, and I swear the trip was jinxed from the start. A flat tire, bugs—like, mosquitoes the size of dinner plates— and a bear scare...Hiro and I hated it. But Aunt Cass was completely unfazed by the entire thing." He shook his head, chuckling. "She says nature has a way of calming the soul, but at the end of trip nature had traumatized me and Hiro. So nope, I'm a city boy through and through."

"My hometown is called Arendelle," Elsa began softly, hesitantly. "It's a small city, quite traditional, located by a fjord. Do you know what a fjord is?" Tadashi nodded, his eyes trained on her face intently to listen to every word. She cleared her throat and licked her lips. Should she talk about her family? But if she did, Tadashi might ask certain questions that would lead to answers she was not prepared to give. "Anyway, Arendelle is surrounded by pine forests. Your aunt would love it there," she continued, going by another tack. "You'd probably hate it since you didn't enjoy your hike with your aunt."

"Well, if you went with me and showed me around, I think it won't be so bad." Tadashi smiled, his warm brown eyes crinkling at the corners. Elsa returned it, a small, crooked one quirking her lips.

"I'd probably get us lost," she remarked. Yes, she'll get them lost because she had hardly ventured outside during her childhood and teen years. Leaving Arendelle and her comfortable prison had been one of the hardest things she had ever done, second to dealing with her parents' death. The anxiety over dealing with a new situation, and the added stress of what happened to her parents, led her to seek treatment when about after a week she couldn't deal with it anymore.

She probably shouldn't say the next few words, but..."My sister Anna is the outdoorsy type," Elsa mused, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "She could take you and your Aunt Cass out for a tour if you came to visit."

"What about you, then? If I came to visit you in Arendelle, what would we do?" Tadashi raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Um, uh..." she floundered. What would she say? She spent most of her time holed up in her room or the library. Give him a tour of her room? Have tea? She didn't think Tadashi was the type to do so. "I could tour you around my family villa," she tried. "We have a lot of paintings."

_Really? Paintings?_

Tadashi opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the lights flickering to life. Both of them scrambled to their feet, with her twisting the door handle. Elsa let out a sigh of relief when the door opened.

"Freedom!" Tadashi crowed, punching his fist in the air. "Come on, get your stuff, we're outta here."

She couldn't agree with him more, throwing all her things into her backpack haphazardly, uncaring if it was a mess. Normally she packed her things carefully, but she didn't want to risk the possibility of getting locked in again. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to find that the entire ordeal only lasted thirty minutes.

It was 10:16. Since she lived about ten minutes from the campus, she could still make it to take her medication at 10:30.

"All packed?" Tadashi slung his satchel on his shoulder. Elsa nodded. "Good. Come on." He reached down and took her hand. Before she could process what was happening, he had dragged her along with him in a sprint. "Get moving, they might lock the place down!"

"Really?" she increased her speed, easily keeping up with him, her gloved hand still in his.

"I don't know, but who knows? You wouldn't want to get locked in there, would you?"

"No!"

They pounded down several flights of stairs, busting out of the emergency exit at the side of the building and startling Hugh the night guard. "Hey!" the guard shouted. "Damn crazy kids!"

"Don't look back!" Tadashi gasped as they ran.

He kept their pace up until they reached the end of the cherry-tree lined path, the one that led to the labs. "Whew," he said, taking his cap off and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, the other still clutching hers. "That was close. Hugh's a grump." He grinned at her. "What an adventure, eh?"

Elsa's heart was pounding crazily against her chest, but this time it was out of euphoria, not fear. "You're nuts," she admonished him breathlessly, giving him a mock glare before blowing her bangs from her forehead. He shrugged modestly.

"I try."

Elsa rolled her eyes and pulled her hand from his grasp. "Yeah, well..." she trailed off. Well, what? He was right—it had been an adventure, at least the running part was. She had not done that in years. The last time she did she had been seven years old, chasing after Anna as they played tag in the snow she created. She hitched her backpack higher on her shoulder and fussed at her hair to keep Tadashi from asking her to elaborate further.

"My offer to take you out for shawarma still stands, you know. And it's my treat."

There was something about his tone she couldn't quite interpret. Glancing up at him, he was looking down at her with a slight smile, the moon and cherry trees casting shadows on his face. Was it hope in his voice? What was he hopeful for?

But her medication—she had to take it. Tadashi had been successful in staving off an impending anxiety attack, but with the scare she had just endured tonight, she was certain she would need it.

_Take a chance,_ a voice whispered temptingly. _He's a friend, remember?_

"Tempting, but after what happened, I'm pretty tired," she lied.

_Coward._

Elsa hated herself at that moment.

Tadashi kept smiling, but the disappointment was clear in his eyes. "I understand," he said instead. "Let me walk you to your apartment, then. It's not that far, right?"

"Yes, and thank you. Not just for that, but for everything," Elsa replied, wishing she had accepted his invitation instead. But she didn't want to risk it.

_Risk what, exactly?_

* * *

_Yes, what was I so afraid of to risk?_ Elsa asked herself, now in the present, staring up at the ceiling. _Risk losing my heart? Too late for that. I already did. Not sure when, exactly, but I love him._

_I love Tadashi._

She bit her lip and turned on her side, trying to ignore the pain her realization brought. She wished she didn't have any feelings. Love had brought her nothing but pain and loss. First, her sister, then her parents, and now, Tadashi.

She sobbed quietly into her pillow, snowflakes drifting down over her once more.

* * *

Tadashi stared at his phone's touchscreen. It had been an hour since he sent his text message to Elsa, and he was getting antsy. _Did I come on too strong? Damn it, I probably did._ He groaned, punching his pillow in frustration.

"Dude, shut up, I'm trying to sleep," Hiro's disgruntled, disembodied voice floated over the divider of their room. Tadashi could hear his younger brother's grumbling that he was being stupid over a girl, but he ignored it. He stood up and walked to his window, opening it to stare at the night sky. He focused his attention on a star to his right that caught his eye, falling back on a habit he had not indulged in in years.

_I wish you're okay. I wish you'd tell me what hurts you so I can make you feel better. I wish...I wish you were mine, and make me yours too._

_Because I love you, Elsa. And I swear, I will never give up loving you._

* * *

**Note:** _Just in case it isn't clear, Elsa's hunch was right about the anxiety medicine. I didn't know how to include that detail without disrupting the flow, so...yeah. Anyway, this was a prompt challenge from weowned8000saladplates on Tumblr (awayinarendelle here on FFNet). She's also writing a Tadashi x Elsa fic, so please check it out too. _


	5. 05 - To Walk Away

**DISCLAIMER:** Frozen and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything.

**NOTE: **_I am updating One Year now instead of putting in a longer chapter because I am currently buried under work and I am fresh out of inspiration. I really want to do justice to what happens next to this, so…yeah._

* * *

Tadashi settled in his usual seat, which was the first one located about three rows ahead of the door of the lecture hall, feeling a little anxious. Elsa was usually there before him since she had a thing for schedules and punctuality. They had a tacit agreement that they'd save seats for each other, and this was the first time he could recall that he came in first. Whenever he came in, she usually gave him a small, acknowledging nod before moving her bag to the floor from the seat she saved for him, while he'd flash her a smile in hope of having her return it.

It was only a month ago that he had succeeded in doing so. October 27th, to be precise.

Tadashi doubted he would forget that day anytime soon. Heck, he never forgot anything that had to do with Elsa—he was that head over heels for her, which was kind of sad, now that he thought about it. _I'm such a sap,_ he supposed, not for the first time ever since meeting her.

On that day Elsa graced him with a smile since their first meeting back in May, Professor Chang of his materials science class had gone on overtime and he fairly burst into Callaghan's class, causing a bit of a ruckus, his excuse ready to fly from his mouth. But before he did, he immediately sought Elsa out, who looked startled at his dramatic entrance. Then the corner of her mouth twitched in a slight smile before she flicked her gaze toward Callaghan, who was glaring at him. "Sorry, professor," he had blurted out, straightening his back. "Materials science got a little too interesting."

"Just take your seat, Mr. Hamada."

The insistent beep of his phone snapped Tadashi out of his memories. A message came in from Elsa. He stared at her name for a split second, feeling a twinge of dread over what she could possibly say to him, before reading what she sent.

_Don't wait for me, I'm not feeling well today, possibly the entire week. I'm going to attend the webinar for Callaghan's class,_ he read silently.

His fingers skipped over the phone's touchscreen. _Are you okay? Do you need me to bring you any medicine? Want me to—_

Tadashi paused and erased his message. Seriously, fussing over her like a mother hen was just not cool. He began to recompose his message.

_Sorry to hear that, I hope you get better! Let me know if you need anything._

_That's more like it._

Try as he might, his worries flared up once more when he remembered that Elsa was taking anxiety and depression medication. _Is she going through a rough time?_ he wondered, unable to prevent himself from seeing images of her crying or staring listlessly out a window in his mind's eye. _Aunt Cass used to do that too,_ Tadashi reflected as he absently watched Callaghan set his laptop and projector up.

Callaghan finished his preparations at exactly 10:00 AM and began his class. Worrying about Elsa while stuck in class was useless, so Tadashi focused on what the professor was saying to diligently take notes. Soon he was taken in by Callaghan's lecture, which he peppered with anecdotes about his daughter.

"Abigail was addicted to bot fighting. She'd spend hours tinkering with bots to perfect them that her hands were either covered with grease or paint," Callaghan related, leaning back on his hands to brace himself against his desk. "She always said part of the fun was getting her hands dirty. Isn't that right, Mr. Hamada?" His gaze zeroed in on Tadashi, who sat up straighter at the professor's sudden attention to him. Tadashi had found out the hard way that he liked doing that to students to keep them on their toes.

"Judging from my brother's own addiction, I agree," he said. "Aunt Cass would complain that we go through so much soap in a month because of that."

Callaghan and the class laughed at Tadashi's statement, and the lecture resumed. A sudden thought cracked his focus and he ducked his head down to type notes on his laptop, listening with half an ear.

_Elsa doesn't like getting her hands dirty. At least, I think so, because she used to wear those gloves._

Looking back, he grimaced inwardly at how pushy he had seemed, especially in light of her revelation that she suffered from anxiety and depression. Showing up unannounced at her apartment to bring her donuts? What a lame excuse. It was about a month into their partnership for Project Baymax, and he justified it to himself by saying it was a way for him to break the ice with her. He made a bit of headway while they had been trapped in the lab, but it seemed as if his progress with her was one step forward then two steps back. The next time he had seen her after the lab incident, she was back to her distantly polite self.

_Man, I sure know how to pick 'em._ He dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated at his impatience. _Then again, it has been a while since a girl made me sweat it out. Does she even KNOW she's making me sweat it out, though? She'd have to be blind not to see how hard I've fallen for her._

_Then again, she did hug and kiss me last Friday. Well, on the cheek, but with Elsa, that'd have to count as something major, right?_

Tadashi glanced up so it wouldn't be obvious he was woolgathering. Callaghan was showing them a slide that explained something about the AI that will be covered during the finals, one glance told him it was something Hiro could explain it to him easily. He usually didn't rely on his brother's genius, because—he might as well be honest with himself—he was a little jealous that things came so easily for Hiro. He was smart, yes, but he had to put in some work to get where he was academically.

Elsa. He was thinking about Elsa.

Tadashi could see and hear it vividly in his memories—the day he persuaded her to ditch the gloves. They had been on the way to the park near her apartment to enjoy the breakfast of donuts and hot chocolate he brought. It was a beautiful, slightly windy day, with the sun shining brightly behind thick white clouds.

And Elsa was so achingly beautiful.

He knew he was running the risk of humiliation if Callaghan caught him daydreaming, but he missed Elsa. Heck, he was risking heartbreak. But she was worth it.

So, so worth it.

* * *

The cream-colored turtleneck Elsa wore that day complimented her pale complexion and platinum blonde hair. Tadashi had wanted to look at her closely to count the number of light freckles that were dotted across the bridge of her nose, but seeing how jumpy she seemed, he firmly kept his eyes straight ahead.

But he couldn't help it—before he could stop himself, he drew his gaze back to her, and he finally registered that she wore a pair of brown leather gloves, which piqued his curiosity once more. It was one of the things he noticed about her when they met. Elsa must have felt his eyes on her because she angled her head toward him, raising her eyebrows to wordlessly ask why he was looking at her.

That was another of Elsa's quirks—she tended to communicate nonverbally. Tadashi cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment at having been caught ogling her.

"What's with the gloves?" he asked, jerking his chin toward her hands and placing the bag and thermos on one of the park benches. Elsa looked alarmed for a split second, but she quickly schooled her face into a carefully bland expression before shrugging.

"I wore gloves all the time back in Norway," she deflected. "I, uh...have a thing against dirt." Tadashi sensed there was more to it than that, yet he kept himself from probing further. She didn't seem annoyed by his questions, but the neutrality of her expression was as telling as a frown.

"Seriously, you're in San Fransokyo," he admonished her gently instead. "The weather's beautiful here. Take off those gloves and feel the sun against your skin, it's great!" He flashed her a toothy grin as they sat on the park bench, with him placing the paper bag and thermos between them.

Elsa regarded him solemnly then raised her face toward the sun, closing her eyes as she made a soft noise of agreement. Tadashi's pulse jumped as he took in the look of peace on her face. In all the time he had spent with her—granted, it has only been a month—a shadow seemed to hang over her all the time. He sometimes noted dull blue eyes that had faint dark circles underneath them, causing him to ask if she was feeling well. Her answer was always the same—I'm fine, along with a forced smile. When she had pulled that on him again the night before, he resolved to bring her donuts and hot chocolate and coax her to eat with him, come hell or high water.

Seeing her with her head tilted back, the shadows gone from her countenance, Tadashi opened his mouth and blurted out the thought that kept tripping through his mind before he lost his nerve.

"Will you let me take off your gloves?"

Elsa's eyes snapped open and her head whipped around to look at him incredulously. "What?" she asked, dumbfounded. If he hadn't been kicking himself for letting his tongue get the better of him, he would have laughed at the expression of comical surprise she wore instead of her usual calm, neutral one.

"Will you let me take off your gloves?" he repeated, feeling foolish. _Might as well make a complete fool of myself,_ he reckoned, holding his breath for her answer. He was sure she'd refuse him—after all, what sort of question was that? Elsa took personal space very seriously. He didn't have to violate hers to know that. But with that question, he was pretty sure that he had just done so.

Something had flickered in Elsa's eyes and he was afraid he'd pushed her too far. But she slowly she held her hands out, palms upward, toward him. _Go on,_ she seemed to say with her eyes.

He conveyed his own question—_is it okay?_— by raising his eyebrows at her. She nodded quickly and he noted how she swallowed hard, as if she were gathering her courage. Licking his lips—why was he nervous?—he slowly peeled off the glove wrapped around her right hand, then her left. He folded the gloves neatly and set them aside.

She had graceful hands. Her fingers were elegantly long. He glanced up to ask her permission if he could touch her hands and she nodded her assent. Was it just him, or...why did she look scared? Tadashi smiled slightly to reassure her before turning her hands over, palm down. She didn't wear any nail polish, and her nails were manicured and neatly-clipped. Before he could stop himself, he traced the faint blue line that ran diagonally in between her second and third knuckles with his thumb.

Elsa squeaked and jerked upright. "That tickled," she said, shifting in her seat, a blush reddening her cheeks.

"Sorry."

He really should release her now, but he couldn't get enough of her. She had always been so self-contained, trying to take up as little space and attention as possible. It had just drawn him toward her more, made him daydream about what she would be like if she let go. His head was always in the clouds more these days—he had never broken so many plates in his life before Elsa. "We don't have eight thousand salad plates, Tadashi," Aunt Cass scolded him last night while he was helping her close up the cafe.

"Here, let me read your palm," she suddenly offered, surprising him a bit.

"You do palm reading?"

"I'm not an expert, but I read a book about it once." She paused, as if recalling a past memory. "I wanted to find the answer to a problem I had, and I was willing to try anything. Even fortune telling."

Tadashi's first impulse was to ask what that problem was, especially if it would help banish the shadows that hung about her, but he didn't want to push his luck. While he didn't understand why she wore gloves all the time—was her thing about dirt simply another one of her quirks, or was it a symptom of a deeper problem? Like, was it part of her anxiety and depression? The scientist in him was prodding him to investigate further, but considering the degree of trust she had shown him by allowing him to remove her gloves, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"I'm a science guy," he said instead. "I don't believe in fortune telling, but okay, tell me my fortune, Madame Arendahl." Tadashi grinned and held his palms out.

"You have a—"

* * *

"Ahem."

The soft cough jolted Tadashi back to the present—he hadn't noticed it, but apparently he had been staring at his hand like it held all the answers in the universe. He gulped, knowing that Callaghan was standing before him. He raised his eyes guiltily to see he wasn't wrong. The professor's arms were crossed over his chest, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Daydreaming, Mr. Hamada?" he asked archly, a teasing twinkle in his eye. "I have a sneaking suspicion about your daydream, but would you care to enlighten what it's about? Or should I say who?"

Tadashi flushed and grinned sheepishly at Callaghan. "Sorry, professor. I'm just a little…uh, distracted."

"Well, I daresay a bit of distraction is good for the soul. Anyway, class dismissed—and consultations for your year-ender starts next week," he called over the din of college students hurrying to their next class. Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief that Callaghan didn't give him much of a hard time. As beloved and respected Callaghan is, he was quite adamant to have his students' full attention on him during class. Being one of his top students didn't exempt Tadashi from this.

"Tadashi."

He looked up as he was putting his laptop back into his bag. "Yes, sir?" _He won't chew me out for spacing out in class, is he?_ he wondered nervously.

The professor chuckled. "Don't worry, we've all been there," he reassured him. "And I can't blame you, she's very beautiful."

Tadashi winced. "Am I that obvious?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Quite. And you seem to be the closest person to Ms. Arendahl—I just wanted to ask if she's okay. She's never missed a class until now."

"Well…" he hesitated. Callaghan was the closest thing he had to a father figure, ever since his own father died. He had managed to impress the professor with his initial plans for Baymax, and over the break between semesters Callaghan had taken him under his wing. He cleared his throat.

"Actually, I don't know. I mean, we might seem close, but really, I'm no closer than I was when I first met her. Just a bit, I guess. There's still so much I don't know about her and…" he threw up his hands as he rambled. "What am I doing wrong? I know I shouldn't pry, I know she's got secrets, but whatever those are, I won't give up on her."

"Have you told her that?" Callaghan asked him bluntly.

Tadashi stopped. "I…no, not really." He hung his head, defeated. "I don't want to scare her off. I'm trying to be patient, but—"

"It's hard."

"Yeah." He blew out a breath, ruffling his bangs.

"Is she worth waiting for?"

"Yes." No hesitation.

"And what will you do if she doesn't feel the same way as you do?"

Tadashi let out a soft snort of self-deprecating laughter. "Be stupid and say okay, I'll always be here for you and be whatever person you need instead of walking away."

Callaghan shook his head. "Don't lose yourself in the process, Hamada. Be smart and know when to walk away."

_Too late,_ he thought helplessly as he shoved the rest of his things into his satchel. _I'm never walking away from her._


	6. 06 - The Search Part One

**_DISCLAIMER:_** _Frozen and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything._

**_Note:_** _Chapter title changed from when I posted the WIP on Tumblr for this. Oh well. I wanted this chapter to go on too, but where I stopped seems to be a good point to do so. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated._

* * *

The week without Elsa was the worst.

Tadashi sighed and removed his cap, raking an impatient hand through his hair. He stared at his project partner's empty chair forlornly. While Elsa had been physically absent, she had communicated with him regularly via IM and emails. It had unsettled him how cold and distant that way of communicating with her had felt to him, which was weird because he never had a problem talking to anyone that way before.

Then again, perhaps it was because he wanted her close all the time. With IMing Elsa, he might as well have been talking to a bot.

It was as if all the effort he had put in to coax her out of her shell came to nothing.

_What happened?_ he wondered, staring at their last IM conversation. It was all business—his attempts to ask how she had been at that time was brushed off with an "I'm fine. So, about that bug..."

Tadashi tapped a pencil against his desk, going over what had happened before Elsa's week of absence. Just before the night they went stargazing, she had been laughing at his stupid little jokes—heck, she cracked some herself, leaning in close to murmur conspiratorially at him, her blue eyes dancing and alight with humor, and the corner of her lips turned up in a crooked little smirk. She was letting her guard down around him, and he reveled in it.

He sighed once more and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. _Now what?_ he wondered, his chair squeaking in protest as he leaned back against it. _Is she avoiding me because I came on too strong? But she hugged and kissed me—or was she just being nice, like letting me down easy?_

"Hark, are those a lover's lovelorn sighs that I hear?" Fred's voice broke through his musings. He opened his eyes to find bulbous, googly ones staring at him.

"Augh! Dammit, Fred, how many times do I have to tell you—you do NOT get on people's faces wearing that costume of yours!" Tadashi's face was beet red from the undignified squawk that escaped him.

"Fine, fine." His friend poked his arm and head out of the suit's mouth, shaking his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. "So, were you?" Fred insisted.

"Were I what?"

"Sighing like a lovelorn lover, duh. Weren't you listening?"

"I am NOT lovelorn."

"Yes you are, man." Fred plopped down on Elsa's chair, slouching and resting his forearms against his knees. "Spill. Is it because Elsa's not here?"

Tadashi opened his mouth to deny it, but knowing Fred, he'd pester him until he broke. Might as well throw in the towel—it wasn't as if he'd been hiding how attracted he was toward her.

"I just miss Elsa, that's all," he muttered. Just because he gave in to Fred doesn't mean he'll spill all of his guts. Truth was, he missed her terribly, that he had been close to insufferable the entire week she was gone. He had yelled at Hiro last Wednesday—Hiro got home close to 2AM, and Tadashi had been worried sick about his younger brother.

"But Tadashi—"

"No buts. You're grounded, you hear me? Grounded!"

Since then, Hiro had refused to speak to him unless it was absolutely necessary. His brother could be such a moody little brat sometimes.

"Just give her some space, my man. She'll come around," Fred advised, bringing Tadashi back to the present.

"I HAVE been giving her space, Fred. And while I haven't said anything yet, I've been pretty obvious about my feelings toward her, haven't I?"

"But have you talked to her about it?" Fred pressed, gesturing with his palm upward.

Tadashi pulled a wry face. "That's what Callaghan said, and no, I haven't. I don't want to scare her off, but if I don't say anything, I'll probably burst," he confessed, throwing up his hands in frustration.

Well, so much for not spilling his guts.

"Y'know, if Gogo were here, she'd say 'woman up'," Fred said, making air quotes with his fingers. "But since I'm the one here, and we're both guys, I'd say 'man up'," he continued, repeating the motion. "Tell her how you feel. I mean, sure, you might get your hopes crushed and your heart broken—"

"Thanks a lot, Fred. That's very comforting."

"You're welcome. Anyway, no guts, no glory, right?" Fred plowed on, wiggling his eyebrows.

Tadashi chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Maybe I should just let her know. She doesn't have to answer right away, huh?" He stood up and started pacing back and forth, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he mused out loud. "Like, I should just tell her that she's got, I don't know, options?" He spread his hands out, palms upward. "And that whatever she decides, I've got her back. And that I'll never give up on her." His voice hardened with determination. He was really going to do this.

He was going to tell Elsa how he felt about her. Yeah.

"Uh, dude? You might want to leave out the 'never give up on her' part. She might think you'll stalk her or something."

"Of course not!" Tadashi shot back indignantly. "What I mean is, whatever problem she has, I'll do my best to help her. I'm not afraid of whatever it is she's carrying. I'll help ease her burden. Or something." He said the last two words with his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

_Man, how cheesy was that?_

Fred stood up, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Go forth, my lovelorn grasshopper, and learn how to win your fair lady's heart!" he declared dramatically, pointing a finger toward the door.

"For the last time, Fred. I am NOT lovelorn."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. What are you waiting for? Get your butt outta here!"

About fifteen minutes later, he found himself across the street from Elsa's apartment. _Now or never, bud,_ Tadashi gulped and stared at her door. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and to center himself. _Focus,_ he told himself, psyching himself up as if he were preparing for a karate match. But the harsh shrill of his phone in his pocket broke his concentration, making him jump and fumble for it.

"Hello, Aunt Cass?"

"Tadashi—good. Are your classes over?"

"For the day, yep. It's not beat poetry night, is it?" he asked, wincing as he heard the loud bongos and staccato fire of rhyming words in the background. Beat poetry night was usually the busiest day at the cafe and while his aunt had never asked for his help—she always told him and Hiro to focus on their studies and be good boys—he always volunteered to do so (guilt-tripping Hiro as well to help out just for an hour or two).

"Well, yes, but never mind about that. Do you know where Hiro is? He's not in his room and he never told me he was going anywhere."

His aunt's words sent a little thrill of fear down his spine. Several scenarios flashed through his mind, like his brother getting abducted off the sidewalk (there are a lot of sick people these days—you'll never know where they're lurking) or him picked on and beaten up by bullies and left somewhere bleeding and concussed (it did happen one time last year, which had Tadashi secretly sewing GPS trackers into Hiro's hoodies until he got busted; he really ought to start doing it again).

Tadashi took another deep breath, this time to force himself to calm down and think rationally. "Gotcha, Aunt Cass. I bet he's just at the library to check out stuff. You know how he is," he said, mostly for Aunt Cass's benefit. "I'll go look for him."

"Be careful, Tadashi."

"You know I will. Love you, Aunt Cass." The conversation ended which left Tadashi staring down unseeingly at his phone screen, the wheels in his head whirring furiously to think where on earth his brother was. _I could start at the library,_ he considered as he glanced at his watch. 7:30 PM—the library's closing in thirty minutes.

_Or maybe that playground a couple of blocks from the cafe? Nah, why would he go there? Not like he has a lot of good memories about that place._

It was where Tadashi had found a beaten-up Hiro. From what he had pieced together from his brother, Hiro had pissed some bot-fighting high schoolers off with his less-than-stellar social skills. Tadashi had been able to find out who had beaten him up, tracked those guys down, then delivered his own brand of justice to have them leave Hiro alone—put on a dark trenchcoat and a kabuki mask, knocked some heads, and left them tied up only in their underwear at the school flagpole with a sign around their necks saying "I will never bully those younger and smaller than me". It wasn't his proudest moment—he could have looked for a peaceful solution, but sitting by his unconscious brother's hospital bed had him seeing red. From what he could tell, those guys never bothered Hiro ever since.

But what if today was the day they decided to retaliate?

"Dammit," he muttered, tamping down the rising alarm within his chest. _Revenge only begets hate, Tadashi,_ Akihiko Hamada admonished his ten-year-old self. He had told his father proudly that he snuck up on a couple of bullies to beat them up. _Fight to defend, not to retaliate._

"I'm sorry, Tousan," he muttered, jamming his phone back into his pocket. In hindsight, he had no idea what his brother was up to lately, because he had been preoccupied with...other things.

_Oh God, what would Mom and Dad say?_ "Please keep Hiro safe," he prayed, dragging a frustrated hand over his face and promising himself that he'll sort things out with his life, starting with Elsa. He'll confess what he felt for her and damn the consequences—he needed to move on from this limbo for his sanity's sake. And then he'll deal with Hiro and find out what he's been up to lately so he can keep a better eye on him.

_Easy peasy, right?_

"Tadashi?"

He whirled around to face the person that had occupied his thoughts and dreams.

Elsa.

His mind went blank at the sight of her standing there, a surprised expression her face. But it quickly melted away to a guarded one, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He quickly decided on the truth. "I wanted to see you," he admitted. "I was worried. I haven't seen you for a week, and you said you weren't feeling well. But you are now, right?" Tadashi looked her over quickly. She appeared to be in good health, but looked tired—her skin looked paler than usual and there were faint, dark circles under sharp, wary blue eyes that regarded him.

"I told you, I'm fine," Elsa said defensively, her hands curling up into fists at her sides. "You should go, Tadashi, if you don't need anything from me."

"Don't pretend you don't know what I need from you," Tadashi retorted before he could stop himself, his rapidly-fraying temper piqued. Elsa was taken aback at his sudden loss of control, which he immediately regretted. The last thing he needed was for him to scare her away for entirely different reasons.

"Sorry. Look, we need to talk," he placated her, his tone gentling as he spread his hands out in conciliatory manner. "I came here because of that. But Aunt Cass just called—something came up."

Elsa seemed to pick up on his increasing distress, her eyes roving back and forth to get a better read on him. "Is something wrong?" she asked him, tilting her head, her brow creasing in a concerned frown.

"Hiro's missing. Aunt Cass hasn't seen him the entire day." His words came out clipped and tense.

"Can't you report it to the police?" Elsa ventured.

He shook his head. "He has to be missing for forty-eight hours before they would search for him."

Elsa's frown deepened. "Well, that doesn't seem right. What if something happened to him?"

"No kidding." Tadashi blew out a frustrated breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is all my fault. He's never had an easy time of it—got bullied in high school and it stopped because I did something stupid and what if he's missing because those guys found out I did it and decided to—"

"Tadashi." He stopped when he felt Elsa's cool hands cradling his face, her eyes zeroed into his. "Calm down and focus. Let's look at the facts, okay?" He nodded dumbly, forcing himself to relax. "Now think back on the last time you saw Hiro. What happened?"

"Well..." Tadashi trailed off, frowning as he tried to recall details. "Hiro's been moody lately because I yelled at him last Wednesday when he got home really late. I tried to get him to tell me where he had been but he never did—that kid could be so stubborn sometimes," he said, shaking his head. "Anyway, he hasn't really spoken to me since. I saw him was breakfast earlier today, and...come to think of it, he was acting weird," he mused, crossing his arms over his chest as he mulled it over. "Like he was hiding something. But what?" He looked at Elsa in askance, hoping she could offer some insight.

Elsa nodded encouragingly. "Go on," she urged. "Did you notice anything he held? You said he was into bot-fighting, right? This is just a shot in the dark, but what if he was hiding a new bot from you?"

"Nah, he builds his own bots. He's really good at that—though he could have bought commercial ones for parts to build his own for a better one. But why would he..." Tadashi trailed off, realization dawning on his features. "Oh no."

"What?"

"He was out betting on bot-fighting, and that's illegal. And that's what the little jerk was hiding from me!" Tadashi's temper, worn thin from worry over both Hiro and Elsa, finally snapped. "That knucklehead—what was he thinking?"

"Then we'd better find him so you can ask him yourself."

"Yeah, you're right—wait, what? We?" Tadashi stopped, looking down at Elsa in surprise. She shrugged.

"We'll have a better chance of finding him if we did this together. You should probably get Wasabi and the others to help you so we could cover more ground. Do you know where the bot-fights are usually held?"

"No, but I have a pretty good idea. But Elsa, you don't have to do this—it could be dangerous. And you said you weren't feeling well."

"I'm fine now. Let me help, Tadashi. Please." Her blue eyes bored into his brown ones entreatingly, which stopped him short. Was that guilt hiding within those blue depths? What was she guilty for—ignoring him for a week? Was this her way of making it up to him?

_Don't be a selfish jerk, Hamada. Not everything revolves around you._

So...what is it? Why was Elsa doing this?

Tadashi asked her then.

"I need to do this, Tadashi. I...can't tell you why. Please understand. But it'll make me feel better if you let me help you," she answered him softly. "Please."

His resistance crumbled. There was no way he could refuse her, not when she looked that vulnerable, as if she carried an enormous weight on her shoulders. Tadashi nodded.

"Alright. I'll call the others and we'll meet at the cafe to put a plan together." Then he slapped his forehead. "Aw man, I forgot—it's beat poetry night, the place is packed."

"We'll meet at my place then," Elsa said decisively, making him look at her in surprise. "What? You're here already, and we'll have privacy. It may not be a cafe, but I've got hot chocolate from home that I could serve while you guys brainstorm on finding Hiro. Chocolate always helps."

The awful weight on Tadashi's chest disappeared, and he smiled at her gratefully for what she said. "Thank you, Elsa," he said sincerely, resisting the urge to tuck a wayward lock of blonde hair behind her ear that got loose from the gentle breeze that passed by. "I could kiss you," he blurted out.

She shook her head, a furious blush staining her cheeks. "Nothing to thank me for," she replied, glancing away as she rubbed her right arm with her left hand. "Now come on." She reached out and tugged his arm to pull him after her across the street toward her apartment. Despite his worry, he was still aware of how good her cool hand felt against her skin. Tadashi shook his head mentally to get rid of such a whimsical thought—now was not the time to moon over Elsa. "We've got a meeting to call and a search for your brother to organize."


	7. 07 - The Search Part Two

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Big Hero 6 are properties of Disney. I do not own anything.

**Chapter Seven:** The Search Part Two

**_Note: _**_Finally, an update! *falls over dead* The chase scene is a little different because…reasons._

* * *

_Why, why, WHY?_ Elsa berated herself as she reached into the cupboard to retrieve a block of Arendellian chocolate. Inviting Tadashi into her apartment after a week of avoiding him as much as she could was illogical. She heard him speaking to someone in her living room—maybe he was calling the others already.

_Alright, this will be the last time—wait, what?_ She frowned, her hand patting the surface of the cupboard. _I could have sworn I have some chocolate in here._ She continued to grope for it but to no avail. Tadashi must have seen her predicament because she nearly jumped out of her skin when he came up behind her. She spun around to face him.

"What are you looking for? Need help with something?" he offered with a curious tilt of his head.

"Uh, chocolate, and I've got it," Elsa muttered, tucking a stubborn lock of hair behind her ear. "You know, for when the others get here. I promised to make hot chocolate for you guys, remember?" She cleared her throat and bit her lip—Tadashi's deep brown eyes, which reminded her of the chocolate she was looking for, made it hard to think when they were riveted on hers.

"Yeah, I remember," he responded, his gaze still intent on hers. Was it just her, or did his voice sound a bit deeper and huskier?

"It's probably at the back. Chocolate should be kept in a slightly cool, dark place," Elsa babbled, glancing away as her cheeks burned.

"Right. Let me get it for you, then." He craned his neck to peer into her cupboard and easily retrieved it from where it sat at the back. He was so close that she caught a whiff of the cologne he wore—a fresh scent that reminded her of sunshine and summer.

"Here." Their fingertips touched, causing a bolt of awareness to travel up her arm.

Elsa sucked in a breath through her nose to keep her tumultuous feelings at bay. _Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show._

"Thanks."

"So," Tadashi began after a second of awkward silence, leaning back against the kitchen counter with his arms folded across his chest, "thank you too, for helping me out with finding my knucklehead brother."

"Don't thank me yet," Elsa replied, focusing on chopping the chocolate into tiny chunks. "I don't even know how helpful I'll be, but I'll try my best."

"Yeah…about that. Maybe you shouldn't come with us. Botfights are seedy and attract trouble. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Elsa stopped chopping and clenched her jaw. She should have known he'd say something like that. But if she didn't help him, how would she repay her debt to him? Her conscience would never let her hear the end of it—he had done so much for her, a loyal friend despite her attempts to distance herself. His warm smile and constant companionship were like drugs, helping numb the pain of loneliness.

Her grip tightened on the handle of the knife as she schooled her face into a mask of calm confidence. "You don't need to worry about me, Tadashi. You know me—I'm very cautious," she stated as she put the knife down carefully, willing herself to meet his gaze with a direct one of her own. She reassured herself that her abilities—unstable as they may be—would protect her. If there were witnesses, who would believe them?

Tadashi's brows wrinkled in a concerned frown. "Yeah, but still—I mean, it's not that I don't trust you," he put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture at her raised eyebrow, "but a lot of things might go wrong—"

"So it's not okay to endanger myself, but if it's you it's okay?" Elsa retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What—that's not—" Tadashi sputtered.

She pressed her advantage. "Look, if you're so worried about me getting lost in the mean streets of San Fransokyo, I can tag along someone who knows them well," she went on, raising an eyebrow.

He gave in with exasperation. "Alright, fine, you can come, but you're with me. And that's final," he forestalled her when she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm already worried about that knucklehead, so don't add any more to it, okay?"

Elsa wanted to smack herself. _You walked right into that one,_ she chastised herself as she gave a terse nod of agreement. "What?" She tried to keep the quaver of self-consciousness from seeping into her voice.

Tadashi scrutinized her, his eyes roving back and forth as if he were trying to read her mind. "Why are you so determined to go with us?" he finally asked. "I mean, I appreciate your help—really, you've done more than enough, letting me use your place to meet with the Wasabi and the rest—but you haven't known Hiro that long. You told me not to ask you why, but you're risking your neck for my brother and I won't be at peace with that, so…why?"

"I just—" Elsa blew out a breath. "Look, you're my friend, and friends help each other out, don't they?"

Something in Tadashi's eyes shifted. Elsa tracked how this throat worked when he swallowed, his chest rising as if he were mustering his courage. For what, though? Those dark orbs boring into her blue ones held so much meaning that she could guess what he wanted to say. After all, she wanted to say the same thing, too. "You're helping me because we're friends...just friends?" he murmured. The stubborn lock of hair slid free from her ear once more, prompting Tadashi to tuck it back in place. His finger trailed a light path down her cheek before he tipped her chin up. His gaze never let hers go.

"I…we are, Tadashi. You're one of my best friends." _My only other friend, actually,_ she thought wryly over her pounding heart. She could admit that much to herself, couldn't she? But as with her relationship with her sister, what she had with Tadashi was complicated, and she didn't know how to deal with it except to run away from it.

His hand fell to his side as he straightened. "Good to know," he replied with a small smile, though the light in his eyes dimmed.

"Besides," Elsa went on, determined to fill the silence, "I'm also an older sibling. If Anna went missing, the first thing I'll do is to go out looking for her." She stepped away from him and reached into her refrigerator and got some milk out, carefully pouring it into a saucepan to heat. She moved the chopping board with the chocolate closer to the stove so she could keep an eye on the milk—it should only simmer, not boil, or else the hot chocolate would turn out grainy. Meanwhile, Tadashi had moved to give her the space she needed to putter about in her kitchen, leaning back against the counter once more. She could feel his eyes on her as she chopped the last of the chocolate.

"Your sister sounds like a handful," he remarked. "I remember you telling me that you heard she broke her arm once, when she rode her bike down the stairs. What happened to her?"

"What do you mean?" She had hoped to divert his attention, but not toward another direction she wanted to avoid.

"Well, you said 'you heard' what happened to her. So she wasn't with you at the time? Were you living away from her?" Tadashi probed.

"Uh, you could say that."

"Could say that?"

Elsa was saved from answering when the doorbell rang. "That must be Wasabi and the others," she said, letting out a surreptitious sigh of relief. "I'll go get the door."

"No, no, I'll get it. Just go on with what you're doing, I've held you up long enough," Tadashi offered. He placed a hand on her shoulder briefly as he stepped past her. She watched him usher his friends in, who saw her in the kitchen. Honey waved at her, and she returned the greeting with a smile and nod before popping the chopped chocolate into the microwave for thirty seconds to melt it.

"Thanks for coming on short notice, you guys," Elsa heard him say after they got settled in at her living room. "Fred, did you bring the map?"

"Yep!"

"Fire it up."

From her vantage point in the kitchen, Elsa watched a holographic map of San Fransokyo flare to life. She hurried with her task, pouring the melted chocolate into the saucepan of warm milk and stirring the mixture before pouring it into six cups. She added a bit of whipped cream and placed the cups on a silver tray, waiting for Tadashi to finish speaking before coming out of the kitchen to serve the drink to her guests.

"Oh wow, Elsa, this smells great," Honey sighed with an appreciative sniff. "I bet this'll be the best hot chocolate I'll ever taste."

Elsa shrugged. "Thanks," she said with a small smile. "But Arendellian chocolates are the best. I only melted it to make the hot chocolate."

"Wait, so are you from Arendelle or something? Went there for a vacay last summer with my folks, I bought like, a ton of the stuff," Fred piped up. "Chocolate, I mean."

"You went to Europe? I thought you lived under a bridge," Gogo drawled after popping her gum.

"Guys, focus please," Wasabi cut in as Fred opened his mouth to retort. "But yeah, compliments to the chef, Elsa. This is absolutely perfect." He raised the cup to his mouth and sipped.

"Don't forget to raise your pinkie like this, man," Fred snickered, demonstrating. Wasabi complied and shot him a deadpan look over the rim of his cup as if to say 'happy?'

"Anyway," Tadashi interrupted. "We'll be splitting up into pairs. Elsa and I will cover Southside. Fred and Wasabi, you guys will cover North Harbor, then GoGo and Honey will scour Central. Be careful. Some of those bookies aren't to be messed with, so stick close to each other. As soon as you spot Hiro, grab him and go. Lie as low as you can, don't make a ruckus."

"You got it, boss." GoGo gave him a laconic salute. Elsa noted how the biker's eyes narrowed slightly and darted between her and Tadashi when he had announced the pairs. But before she could dwell on it further, the rest of the group chugged down their drinks—Honey asked where the kitchen was so she could clean her cup.

"Oh, don't worry about it, just put your cups here on the tray and I'll take care of them later. We'd better start searching."

After five minutes, they split up to head toward their respective areas. "Let's stop by Garrison Street," Elsa suggested, raising her voice over the noise of the scooter's motor.

"What for?"

"Rent a car. I don't think the three of us will fit in your scooter," she replied.

"We don't have time to rent one!"

"But—" She stuck a finger under the helmet's chin strap to adjust it a bit, since it was starting to chafe. The urgency in Tadashi's voice made her hold her objections back—if she were in his place and Anna was the one missing, she sure wouldn't waste time renting a car, even if it was the practical course of action.

_Right. Screw it, the important thing is to find Hiro, _she mused, wrapping her arm around Tadashi's waist once she was done adjusting her helmet_._ The thought of her sister and empathizing with Tadashi's plight caused her to tighten her grip around him. Elsa blushed and slackened her grip when she realized what she just did, but his hand stopped her.

"Hold on tight, alright? I don't want you falling off." He didn't look at her, but she could see a muscle ticking in his jaw and his ear turning pink. She nodded and complied, keeping her mind carefully blank to focus on their objective.

Find Hiro.

* * *

"This looks like the place," Tadashi muttered, furrowing his brow as he scrutinized the crumpled flyer in his hand before sweeping his gaze over the dingy surroundings. Empty Styrofoam cups, napkins, paper bags, and other sorts of refuse littered the streets and smoke and the faint stink of waste hung in the air, making his nose twitch. The garish colors of store signs and Japanese lanterns provided them enough light to see their immediate area. The botfight said to be happening right now was in empty lot behind Huang Dumpling.

It had taken them about an hour to get a lead on the botfight. Tadashi had considered checking every nook and cranny of Southside, but Elsa countered that it would take up too much time. Thankfully, her sharp, observant eyes spotted a couple of teenagers a little older than Hiro carrying bots who were headed toward the seedier part of Southside. Thinking fast, he sauntered up to the teenagers and got them to open up about the fight by simply talking shop with them. One of them handed him a crumpled flyer with a crude map drawn on it.

"You know Huang Dumpling? Fight's goin' down behind it. Gonna be awesome. I hear Little Yama's gonna fight too."

"They must be newbies," he had remarked to Elsa over his shoulder as they sped their way toward the venue. "Because there's no way a veteran would blab about the fight just like that. Hiro would have probably made up some story and sent us on a wild goose chase."

"You really know your brother, don't you?"

"Well, I practically raised him."

A pregnant pause came before she responded. "He's lucky to have you."

Speaking of which, it was just his luck that Little Yama was competing. Tadashi had never participated in illegal botfighting, but such was Little Yama's reputation that even he had heard of how the gangster decimated his many opponents. _Hiro would definitely see him as a something right up his alley,_ he thought grimly, adjusting his helmet. _That knucklehead's never backed down from a challenge. But please don't let him be in there, _he prayed.

"Stay close to me, okay? That way if something does go down—and I'm pretty sure it will—I can protect you," Tadashi instructed Elsa, twisting around to look at her. He opened his mouth to say more, but decided against it—now was not the time to admit out loud how he felt for her.

Elsa started to nod, but was interrupted by a crash.

"No one hustles Little Yama!" someone bellowed. "Teach him a lesson, boys."

"Hey fellas. Let's talk about this." Tadashi's heart thudded against his chest as his eyes widened in fear and shock—he'd know that voice anywhere. Without giving Elsa a warning, he revved the scooter's engine and sped into the alley, barely registering her surprised yelp and how she clutched at his shoulders over his sudden movement. He burst into the scene, startling the thugs that were closing in on his brother.

"Hiro! Get on!" Tadashi barked.

"Tadashi! Haha, perfect timing!" Hiro exclaimed as Elsa scooted back, sitting on the helmet case, and he moved forward to make room for Hiro. It was a REALLY tight fit—Tadashi tried to ignore the fact that the extra weight was going to complicate their getaway.

_Not if I can help it._ Tadashi gritted his teeth. Dammit, he should have put his foot down when Elsa insisted on coming along. "You okay?" he asked Hiro as they rounded a corner.

"Yeah."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

His brother's flippant tone broke his thin patience. "Then what were you thinking, knucklehead!" he snapped, punctuating each word with a fist and an elbow at Hiro.

"Tadashi—dead end!" Elsa warned, pointing. He maneuvered the scooter around, bracing his foot to assist the turn, but the burden of three people was too much for the vehicle. The engine sputtered and died.

"Dammit, not now!" He jammed his thumb frantically on the starter button to bring it back to life. Adrenaline pumped through his veins which made his senses go on overdrive—he heard the faint voices of Yama and his thugs echoing through the back streets. From the corner of his eye he saw Elsa getting off and placing her helmet on Hiro's head. "Elsa—what are you doing?" he demanded.

"Helping you get away," she replied. "Don't think about me—go! I'll—I'll hold them off."

"With what?" Tadashi exploded. "Get back on the scooter, we don't have time for your martyr act!"

"And I don't have any time to explain. Just go! Please." She bit her lip. "Just…just trust me, Tadashi. I'll be okay, I promise."

Tadashi stared at her with a slack jaw, his thoughts in disarray, pulse pounding in his ears. He couldn't believe this was happening to him—that he was being made to choose between his brother and the girl he was in love with. "I can't just leave you," he choked out, his heart constricting painfully in his chest, gripping the handles of the scooter to maintain control.

"Over here!" Yama howled. "Get 'em!"

"Tadashi!"

With a cry of anguish he revved the engine, his mind racing to think of the quickest way for them—the three of them—to escape Yama and his goons. Should he ram his way through? While the thugs are disoriented, he could grab Elsa and make a break for it. But they were outnumbered, and what if they carried weap—wait, was that—?

"Hold on!" Gunning the engine for all its worth, he sped toward the incline, praying that the momentum would help the scooter sail over the thugs' heads. He had no idea what he was doing—he was moving purely on instinct, his brain latching onto the easiest solution. He vaguely heard Hiro's shout and their reflection against the glass pane of the building as they flew. The blistering lecture he had in mind for his incredibly and stupidly reckless younger brother was replaced with stark terror for Elsa's safety—how the hell was she going to hold her own against Yama and his gang?

His eyes darted around the alley, looking for a possible place to hide Hiro so he could run back and retrieve Elsa. But the sound of startled cries and a flash of light reflecting in his rearview mirror caught his attention, causing him to brake instinctively. "What are you doing?" Hiro cried. Tadashi ignored his brother, unable to breathe because what if—what if—?

"Oh no." Hiro's voice, the sound of guns cocking, and wailing sirens snapped him out of his stupor. "Cops."

* * *

**_Note: _**_I removed the two interlude chapters because reading it now, they're totally out of place here. I moved them to my other Tadelsa fic titled Life in San Fransokyo because they seem to fit better there. It's basically a bunch of one-shots. Thanks!_


	8. 08 - Escape

Time seemed to slow down for Elsa as Yama and his goons gawked at Tadashi and Hiro flying over their heads on a scooter. Instinct screamed at her that this was her chance to catch them unaware—with a wave of her hand and a bright flash of light, a glittering wall of ice surrounded Yama and his men, trapping them neatly within.

A few heartbeats passed before she blinked in mild disbelief. _I…did it?_ she wondered, looking down at her hands as surprised cries and fists thumping against the ice wall reached her ears. But she didn't have long to savor her success—the sound of wailing sirens and shouted orders soon pierced the air, causing her to scramble behind a dumpster to hide. She barely made it out of sight when a policeman came running into the scene. Elsa held her breath when she peeked out, certain that if she did, they'd find and arrest her.

"Whoa, guys, get a load of this!" The police officer tipped his hat back as he beheld the ice wall. "Must be ten feet high!"

Two more officers joined him. "What are you babbling about now, Gryz—holy mother of Megazon, what the heck is that?" one exclaimed, her jaw dropping open in awe.

"Hell if I know, Carlisle, but it sounds like there are people in there," the first one on the scene observed. He cocked an ear against the surface of the wall. "Seems Yama and his pals are inside."

"Well, we can't just leave them there, can we? I'll have the fire department get Yama out."

_Now what?_ Elsa thought, dismayed. There were now five officers roaming around the area, possibly looking for additional suspects to apprehend. What if she got caught? _I was running away from Yama!_ she'd protest, but even she admitted that she looked highly suspicious, disheveled and hiding behind a dumpster.

She wrinkled her nose. Now that the excitement was winding down, she became gradually aware of the stench wafting from the dumpster and the grit on her palms. _Ha. I really do have a thing against dirt,_ Elsa mused absently as she wiped her damp palms on her jeans, trying to figure out how to sneak past the policemen who were scattered and scurrying all over the place. Some of them gawked at the ice wall she had erected. Casting her gaze about, she spotted a hole in the chain link fence behind her. _There has to be a…yes!_

She glanced back to make sure she wouldn't be seen, then crawled through the hole to make her escape, not daring to look back. Keeping a brisk pace, Elsa made her way through the winding alleys and backstreets, her pulse pounding in her ears—were those eyes tracking her every move? _Don't be ridiculous,_ she chided herself, suppressing a shudder. Now was not the time to lose control.

_Please don't tell me I'm lost,_ she prayed as she rounded yet another dark corner. _Please tell me—oh, finally!_

There was a light at the end of the alley, and Elsa hoped it led out toward a street—one that was safe, that is. Running toward the light, she heaved a sigh of relief when it did reveal a street, one that she and Tadashi had stopped by earlier—there was that waiting shed where Tadashi had seen those teenagers that tipped them off.

She plopped on the bench and rolled her shoulders to relieve the tension, wishing a cab would pass by soon. She couldn't wait to go home and wash off today's grime, to soak her anxieties away in a tub of warm, sudsy, rose-scented water. _I should probably text Tadashi to let him know I'm okay,_ she realized. _I hope he's okay, too. Please let him be okay._

_Or maybe not,_ she amended a few minutes later when she heard faint cries of "help" from a distance. _Guess I'm still in the seedy area of the city._ She had an iPhone, which would surely attract the attention of would-be thieves.

The minutes that ticked by felt like hours as Elsa waited for a bus or taxi to stop by. She didn't dare let her guard down, keeping her eyes peeled for anything. Her hackles rose when a lime green hatchback slowed down and stopped in front of her. Tensing, she made a move to bolt, but halted when she heard a familiar voice.

"Elsa?"

"Wasabi!"

"Come on, get in," he beckoned at her with his head. "This place isn't safe."

She slid inside the vehicle, slumping against the backrest. "Thanks."

"No problem," he responded, starting to drive. "So what happened? Where's Tadashi?" he asked, frowning. "What happened to you? You're a mess! Are you okay? Do you want to get checked at a hospital first?"

Elsa held up a wan hand at his rapid-fire questioning. "Which one do you want me to answer first?"

"Just—well, fine, are you okay?"

"I am, I'm just a little dirty, that's all. Had to hide behind a dumpster."

"Why? What happened?"

And so Elsa told him about how they found Hiro and got chased by Yama and his thugs, leaving out the part where she trapped them with her ice so Tadashi could make his getaway. "I wasn't sure what happened because I was so focused on hiding while they were distracted—Tadashi had jumped over them using his scooter so I was able to hide behind a dumpster," she explained, hoping Wasabi wouldn't notice she was lying through her teeth. "Next thing I know, there was a flash of light and Yama and his men were trapped in ice."

"Wait, what? Ice?" Wasabi echoed, raising a doubtful eyebrow. "Like, they're frozen in ice? That's…"

Elsa nodded, keeping her expression neutral and avoiding his inquiring gaze. "Unbelievable, I know," she said. "No, they weren't frozen, but it looked like a wall of ice surrounded them. Then the police arrived, but by then I was able to sneak away. I don't know what happened to Tadashi," she forestalled him. "I'm hoping you know."

"No," Wasabi sighed after a pause—Elsa was much aware he dropped the subject of how she got away from Yama and his thugs. "I was on my way home since Fred and I didn't find Hiro. But I think Tadashi should be fine—you did say the police came, right?"

"Mmm." Today's events were starting to catch up with her, exhaustion making her lids droop. She shook her head to snap herself awake, noticing how Wasabi eyed her with concern.

"You're almost home," he said to reassure her. "Just a few more minutes."

"Thank you, Wasabi."

True to his word, her apartment block soon came to view. "If you need anything, call or text me, okay?" Wasabi peered at her from the driver's seat as she got out.

"I will. But please text me if you hear anything from Tadashi? I'm worried about him."

"Yep. But text him too, I'm sure he's just as worried about you."

"Alright." Satisfied, Wasabi nodded and drove off, leaving Elsa to stare at the taillights of his car receding into the darkness. She reached into her purse and took out her phone, sending a message to Tadashi that she was home safe and sound.

_I hope you're okay, Tadashi. Please._

* * *

Hiro waved at Tadashi with a sheepish grin as soon as the cell door slid shut with a loud clang. His brother glared back at him, along with Yama and a couple of others who recognized him. He gulped—maybe he should lay low for a while, or at least go on botfights in Central. At least he'll be safe there even if the winnings weren't as big.

_Well, I'm not going anywhere,_ he thought, stretching out to lie down on the concrete slab he sat on, crossing his arms behind his head. _Might as well make myself more comfortable._ Hiro closed his eyes and let his mind go blank, trying to block everything out. _I wonder how Elsa is doing,_ he suddenly thought, remembering how worried Tadashi was over leaving her behind—must be the reason why Tadashi looked extra angry over this latest stunt he pulled. Sighing, Hiro rolled over on his side to face the wall, as if it would help him avoid Tadashi's scrutiny—the guy was about fifteen feet away but he could feel him staring daggers at his back.

_Yeah, well, it's not my fault she let herself get dragged into this mess,_ he tried to convince himself. _She didn't have to go with Tadashi, but she did, so that didn't leave too much room on the scooter, right?_

_Right._

Oh, who was he kidding? Hiro knew he could be a selfish brat SOMETIMES, but that didn't mean he didn't have a heart—of course he felt guilty over the fiasco he caused, but not guilty enough that he'd stop botfighting altogether. But still, he couldn't help but worry over Elsa. Hope she's okay, he thought. And perhaps for his sake as well, because if anything happened to her, Tadashi would be absolutely pissed at him.

He sighed.

_Nice going, genius._

What is it about Elsa that got Tadashi moronically mooning over her? Almost every word out of him was Elsa this or that. Hiro supposed it was because she was smart and beautiful, but there has to be more to her than that. He thought about that one time Tadashi had brought her over for dinner some months ago—sure, she was nice, but there seemed to be a wall around her, as if she didn't want to let people in.

Hiro recognized that in her because he was like that, too. Anyone who had been bullied would. Was she ever bullied, like him?

_Maybe she was,_ he speculated. _Probably why Tadashi likes her. He's always had a protective streak a mile wide._

Hiro thought about the other girls Tadashi had dated, Denise and Celina. Both had been nice, pretty, and smart, but for some reason things didn't work out. He had overheard Tadashi and Aunt Cass talking about Elsa a couple of weeks before, while sneaking back into his room, fresh from another botfight victory.

_"I love her, Aunt Cass," Tadashi confessed in a hushed voice. "She makes me want to be there for her always. I want to be the one to make her smile because she's been through so much—I don't know her whole story yet, but for some reason she keeps away from her sister. Her parents also died in a plane crash just before school started."_

_"Oh, no." Aunt Cass's voice was full of sympathy. "That poor girl."_

_Tadashi sighed. "I know. On the surface, she's managing pretty well—she's in the running for honors and Callaghan likes her. You know how hard-nosed he can be." There was a pause—Hiro wanted to move on, but this was rather juicy stuff._

_"She's strong to hold herself together like that, but if it keeps up, she might break. Am I making any sense?"_

_"You've always wanted to help people, Tadashi. But is that the entire reason why you love her, Tadashi? Because she's…well, from the sound of it, she seems broken." The older woman's voice was full of concern. "Hear me out, please—I was just wondering how you two would turn out later on, you know? Do both of you have similar interests at least? Listen, I want you to have a healthy, balanced relationship with someone, and I'm not sure if you're going to have that with her."_

_"Aunt Cass…"_

_"She's nice, Tadashi, I can see that, but I'm having a hard time reading her."_

_"So, you don't like her, then?" Tadashi said, a sharp edge in his voice. "Aunt Cass, you only met her once, when I brought her home for dinner. Sure, she's not the most outgoing person, and besides, we're only friends—still are, by the way, so she wasn't out to impress you. I pretty much dragged her here for dinner. She hadn't wanted to come at first."_

Thing is, she was different when she addressed his brother. He had watched her surreptitiously and noted that the smiles she directed toward Aunt Cass were small and polite, but the ones she gave Tadashi were a little bigger and warmer. Then again, Tadashi had that effect toward people, which was probably why he had a lot of friends and girls kept chasing after him. It was bothersome to see them hanging out at the café asking for him, but hey, at least they brought business.

And so in true annoying little brother fashion, he referred to her as Tadashi's girlfriend, which predictably cued a round of sputtered denials ('we're just friends') and furious blushing.

He forcibly focused his thoughts toward another direction—Tadashi had been alternately snappish and mopey this week. Did Elsa dump him? Probably, but if she did, she wouldn't have accompanied Tadashi to look for him, would she?

_Wonder what happened between those two?_

Well, today had been a really long and exciting day, and he had thought too much about his brother's love life too much already. Though the concrete slab was uncomfortable, Hiro felt his eyes drooping shut as exhaustion slowly set in, making the sounds of the busy police station fade away.

* * *

Tadashi found himself doing cash register duty on Saturday morning as punishment for last night's shenanigans. At least he was better off compared to Hiro, who was stuck with washing the dishes for the entire day. He snickered—served the little jerk right for illegal botfighting and getting them in trouble with the police.

He had practically lunged for his phone the moment he got out of jail. There were a couple of messages from his friends, but he ignored them and went straight to Elsa's. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he read her message.

_Just wanted to tell you I'm fine and back at my apartment. Where are you? Call me._

He had done so but he didn't tell her he was in jail. "Good to know you're okay."

"Hiro's okay too, isn't he?"

"Yeah. I'm going to kick his ass when we get home, though."

"Tadashi!" But he could hear the smile behind her censure.

"It's what older brothers do to stupid younger brothers. I promise I wouldn't be too hard on him."

Elsa gave a quiet chuckle. "I'm sure you wouldn't. You're a good brother, Tadashi."

He sighed but let himself bask in the warm glow of her compliment. "What am I going to do with him, Elsa? GPS trackers sewn into his hoodie didn't work," he said after a second.

Elsa didn't respond. "Hello?" he asked.

"Sorry. I was just thinking that maybe you shouldn't say no, you shouldn't do this, you know? Hiro strikes me as someone who needs focus. That was the case with Anna—the more I said no, the more she'd do it, but once I found something for her to do instead that she liked, she'd be really focused on it."

"Huh."

Before she could elaborate further, their conversation had been interrupted by Hiro pushing him out toward the exit, where Aunt Cass waited for them and promptly dressed them down. "I had to close up early because of you two felons—on beat poetry night!" she ranted as she got a doughnut from the pastry display case when they arrived home. "Stress eating—because of you. Come on, Mochi." The fat calico cat followed his owner, who stalked toward the living room to watch TV and calm down. "This is really good!" she exclaimed around a mouthful, the sound of her voice receding as she left.

Now that he knew Elsa was home safe and sound, Tadashi resolved to do something about his brother's addiction to botfighting once and for all. Sewing GPS trackers didn't do the trick, but what if…

He asked Charlie, one of the baristas, to cover for him then informed Aunt Cass of his plan, obtaining her approval. "Let's hope that works this time," she sighed, pursing her lips in irritation. "Do I know anything about children? No! Should I have picked up a book on parenting? Probably! Where was I going with this? I had a point," she muttered to herself as she tied an apron around her waist.

Hiro wasn't in the kitchen doing dishes. Tadashi frowned. "Don't tell me he snuck out again," he grumbled, dashing toward the stairs leading to their room. He found Hiro at his computer, who spun around to face him and hide his screen. "You're going botfighting, aren't you?" Tadashi accused.

Hiro shrugged unrepentantly. "There's a fight across town, if I book I can still make it," he replied breezily as he strode past. Tadashi yanked him back.

"When are you going to start doing something with that big brain of yours?" he asked, exasperated, tapping at Hiro's forehead. His brother batted his hand away with a scowl.

"What, so I can go to college like you? So people can tell me stuff I already know?"

Tadashi stared at Hiro, who stood before him with a defiant look in his eye. "Unbelievable," he said, shaking his head. "Oh, what will Mom and Dad say?" he groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.

"I don't know, they're gone. They died when I was three, remember?" Hiro replied, turning away from him.

How can he forget? His father's last words to him were to take care of Hiro. Making up his mind, he tossed his extra helmet toward Hiro. "Hey. I'll take you."

"Really?"

Tadashi shook his head, hoping he wasn't laying it on thick. "I can't stop you from going, but I'm not going to let you go on your own."

"Sweet."

Revving his scooter, he hoped what he had in mind would curb his brother's propensity for trouble.

* * *

"Stupid bug, where the hell are you? I swear, once I find you, I'll crush you to smithereens," Elsa muttered darkly in Norwegian, her voice muffled behind steepled fingers. She had been at it since 7AM. Despite her exhaustion from last night's adventure, she woke up at her usual time of 6AM and decided to head to the Ishioka Lab—affectionately known as the Nerd Lab by the students—to work on Baymax's program. The robot is mostly functional and can be used in emergency situations, but its functionalities that required a deft and gentle touch still needed a lot of tweaking. If she didn't find that bug, the robot might end up doing more harm than good.

Elsa frowned when she remembered how it easily crushed a steel pipe in its fist. "Well…he can lift a thousand pounds," Tadashi had remarked, plucking the mangled piece of metal from the robot's loosened grip and rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's not good news for the patient's bones, you know," she chided him dryly.

"Well, that's what I've got you for, partner." He clapped a friendly hand on her shoulder and beamed a sunny grin down at her. "You'll figure it out."

"Slave driver," she groused, but she couldn't help grinning back. His hand had squeezed her shoulder encouragingly as his warm brown eyes crinkled at the corners.

The memory made her shoulder twitch violently, as if to shrug it off.

"Whoa, okay! I won't bother you!" a voice behind her suddenly exclaimed, startling her out of her thoughts. She felt a bit of frost escape from her fingertips as she grabbed the edge of her desk in surprise.

"What the—" she sputtered, whirling around. The forehead of whoever was behind her met hers with a great crack. "Ow!"

Elsa saw stars before she hunched over, clutching her forehead. A couple of small beeps and a quiet whirring sound followed soon after. "Dow, I'b fide, check Elsa out first," she heard Tadashi say. The next thing she knew, someone was gently prodding her to straighten up.

"Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said 'ow'."

"Dis isd exactly how I wadted to show you Baybax, Hiro." Opening her eyes, Elsa saw Tadashi a few feet away from her, rubbing his nose ruefully. "Sorry if I scared you, Elsa."

"Oh, no, it's okay, really," she waved him off. Hopefully he didn't see the small burst of power that escaped from her, but it was a good thing that the thin film of frost had already melted away from the desk's surface.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax asked.

Knowing that the robot wouldn't let up because of its programming, Elsa submitted to its ministrations, letting it place a cooling gel patch over the affected area. It then moved on to check on Tadashi and did the same thing to him. Once Baymax was done, Hiro began inspecting and poking at Baymax, commenting and asking some questions. He mumbled something she didn't quite catch.

"Carbon fiber." Tadashi corrected, glancing at her with a bit of concern before walking over to Hiro.

"Right. Even lighter. Killer actuators, where did you get those?"

"I machined them right here, in-house." She didn't miss the pride in his voice. Of course he should be—despite the bugs (which she really should get rid of), Baymax was a marvel. The robot was well-equipped for any type of emergency and programmed with thousands of medical procedures.

Elsa watched the brothers fussing over Baymax and leaned back against her chair with a slight smile, the bump on her forehead forgotten. But another pain started blooming in her chest—with a bit of imagination, Tadashi, Hiro, and Baymax morphed into two little girls—one blonde and the other redheaded—and a snowman.

She kept smiling. As always, conceal, don't feel, don't let it show.

"He's gonna help a lot of people."

Of that she had no doubt. It was one of the things that had attracted her toward him, his willingness and belief that he could do something. And because of that, she was starting to hope that maybe, just maybe, she was not beyond help.

"Are you satisfied with your care?" Baymax asked.

"Yeah, I'm satisfied with my care," Tadashi confirmed. "Elsa?"

She was in the middle of repeating what he said when a knock on the door sounded.

"Did you burn the midnight oil, Mr. Hamada, Ms. Arendahl?" Professor Callaghan poked his head in from the doorway, grinning. Baymax, having received Elsa's directive to deactivate, shuffled over to its case and folded itself back in.

"Oh, good morning, professor. No, I came in early this morning," Elsa replied, nodding at the older man.

"Just came in to show my brother Baymax, sir." Tadashi proceeded to introduce Hiro to Callaghan. Soon, the boy came to realize who he was speaking with, making his eyes go round with wonder. "Callaghan? As in Callaghan's Laws of Robotics?"

Seeing that she was not needed in the conversation, Elsa went back to work, banishing the memory of herself and Anna building a snowman. _Stop dredging up those memories, they won't do you any good,_ she commanded herself. Clenching her jaw and taking a deep breath, she focused on the computer screen before her and soon found herself deep into the program once more, muttering under her breath over how uncooperative it was being.

"Hey." A hand landed on her shoulder, startling her once more. "Ah, sorry. I really should stop doing that," Tadashi remarked, abashed.

"Yeah, you know how jumpy I get when I've had my coffee," Elsa dismissed, waving a hand. "What do you want?" She had not intended to sound standoffish, but caffeine, memories of the past, and turbulent feelings for her project partner left her jittery and brusque. Maybe it was better that way, though—after all, she had resolved to distance herself from him.

"I just…wanted to make sure you're okay. That was a pretty hard hit you took." He peered down at her with concern.

"No harder than yours," she countered, resisting the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. "Nothing's broken, I hope?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He scrunched his nose to demonstrate. "See? Oh yeah, thanks for telling me about Anna—you know, what you did when she wasn't following you. I think it's working on Hiro."

"Great."

Silence.

Tadashi cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I…look, I think we need to talk, there are so many things I want to ask you, but if I don't get Hiro now he might drive Callaghan crazy. So please, don't push me away, okay? Whatever it is that I've done, I want to make right."

It was as if her past and present were melding together. The very thing she wanted to get away from—earnest eyes and pleading voice—caught up with her once more. Why did she hurt the people she loved this way? First Anna, and now, Tadashi.

_They don't deserve this from me. I don't deserve them._

"Elsa?" his soft, cajoling voice reached her ears. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

She shook her head sharply, causing pain to lance through her head. "It's nothing. Listen, you—"

"Tadashi!" Hiro burst into the lab, which made Tadashi step back away from him. "I have to get in here. If I don't get in here, I'm going to lose my mind. How do I get in?" He didn't seem to have noticed the tension between his brother and Elsa at first, looking up at Tadashi expectantly, until he gradually became aware.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, his eyes darting from Tadashi to Elsa.

"No," Tadashi replied, acknowledging Hiro with a glance. "C'mon, let's go home and I'll explain how you'll get in here." He herded Hiro out of the lab, casting a backward look at her over his shoulder before he closed the door behind him. The sound reverberated throughout the room, reminding her of the many times she had done the same thing to shut Anna out.

Elsa dashed toward the door and locked it with trembling hands. She rested her forehead against the cool, metallic surface, gulping lungfuls of air to stem the frost that threatened to escape. But it was to no avail—the effort to hold her powers back was too much. Spent, she turned and leaned her back against the door and slid down to sit, drawing her knees up against her chest. The telltale sound of crackling ice seemed too loud in the silence.

_I shouldn't have left home. I shouldn't have gone here. I should have just…just…_

_Just what?_

She didn't know how to escape this—whatever this is, she couldn't even find the words to describe it.

But she did let her tears fall down her face. It was the only thing she could do freely for now.

* * *

**_Note: _**_Because it is BH6's anniversary today, I'm updating One Year! Good thing too, I only learned about it today so I hustled to have this installment completed, with forty minutes to spare (my body clock currently on US EST time, so it still counts even though it's 12:20 PM here in the Philippines). __Also, constructive criticism would be much appreciated. I'm not sure about the ending, so I went with that, but…yeah._


	9. Interlude: Another Perspective

_**Note:** This is Elsa's POV of the first chapter of One Year. __This was previously an Interlude chapter here, then I moved it to Life in San Fransokyo, then moved it back here. Sorry, I keep changing my mind. _

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Elsa? Surely you don't have to go all the way to San Fransokyo to complete your studies—it's an ocean and a continent away! Professor—"

"Papa." She normally would not interrupt her father, but her mind was made up. She couldn't live like this anymore, this limbo of being so close to someone she cared for so much, yet out of reach—literally. She couldn't bring herself to touch her sister Anna, fearful she might be hurt by her once more because of her curse.

Elsa needed to get away. While she had accepted long ago that there was no escape from the storm inside of her, staying physically away would bring her a measure of relief. She was so tired of carrying her burden.

So when she learned that Robert Callaghan, one of the foremost minds in robotics, was teaching at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, she jumped at the chance to study under his tutelage. Not only will going at SFIT provide her the escape she desperately needed, it was also her chance to further her interest in programming and coding for robots. Elsa suspected that her interest stemmed from her need for a semblance of control in some aspect of her life. At the very least, it would help her prepare for her eventual role as the CEO of Nordfjellet Industries when her father retires.

Elsa forcibly brought herself back to the present. "I'm sure of this," she said, her steady gaze meeting her father's worried ones.

Agdar Arendahl sighed. "If that is what you want," he capitulated.

A month later, Elsa stared at the tiny figures her father, mother, and Anna through the window of her family's private jet. Ana looked stricken with disbelief that she was leaving. "It's what your sister wanted," Agdar had tried to placate his younger daughter over dinner, after Elsa had announced her decision. But Anna, true to her stubborn nature, had refused to accept such a thing, redoubling her efforts to make Elsa notice her by knocking at her door and pleading to talk and clear the air between them.

Elsa had proven to be just as stubborn as Anna, keeping the door shut between them.

"No, Papa," Elsa whispered. "I never wanted this. But what else can I do?"

Knowing that she was alone in the jet's cabin, she choked out a quiet sob as snowflakes danced gently around her.

* * *

"Here you are, Ms. Arendahl. Please fill out these forms to complete your registration," instructed Mrs. Jones, the matronly registrar, handing Elsa a sheaf of papers. The tall, amply-bosomed woman had a head of curly white hair that reminded Elsa of clouds and a beaky nose. "Be sure to have these submitted by next week if you want to start by this coming semester," Mrs. Jones continued, peering at her through horn-rimmed glasses.

"Thank you," Elsa replied politely, tucking the papers into her satchel. She made her way downstairs and exited through the administration building's double doors, shielding her eyes from the bright San Fransokyo spring sun.

Though the decision to leave her home and everything she was familiar with was the most difficult and scariest one she had ever made, she was beginning to see that it was the right one. Her first night alone in a strange city left her sleepless and anxiety-ridden that when she finally lost the battle out of sheer exhaustion, she found herself waking up amid a large, wet patch on her bed that suggested she had let loose a small snowstorm while unconscious. But over time, as she got used to the city's sights and sounds, her confidence and sense of comfort grew. The business of living had left her no choice but to shunt those initial feelings aside, creating a façade of normality.

Two faint male voices snapped her out of her musings, and she found herself walking along a cobblestoned path lined with cherry trees in full bloom. A light breeze blew by, dislocating some petals and carpeting the path with pink. A sense of whimsy overcame Elsa—cherry blossoms were unusual in Arendelle, though not unheard of. Before she left for San Fransokyo, she researched about her new, temporary home and found out that it was originally named San Francisco. But after an earthquake in 1906 practically ground the city to rubble, many of its Japanese immigrants helped in reconstruction efforts that it was renamed San Fransokyo.

The cherry trees all over San Fransokyo were said to be from a hundred fifty-year-old cherry tree from Japan, which Elsa found a little incongruous considering that for the Japanese, cherry blossoms symbolized life's transience.

That jarred Elsa out of her whimsical mood. "Life's transience, huh?" she muttered, plucking an errant petal from the air as it passed her by. Once again, she was reminded of the accident. That her carelessness almost snuffed out Anna's life.

She sighed and let the petal go, watching it flutter away. _No matter where I go, what I did will always haunt me, won't it?_ she realized, gritting her teeth to keep the tears at bay. She blinked them off when she heard the male voices coming closer, sensing one to be nearer to her than the other.

"Kuso!"

Elsa started at the exclamation and whirled around to see a guy sprawled by her feet, his papers (she assumed) strewn all around him. "Are you okay?" she blurted out, concerned. She wasn't sure because a black cap obscured his face, but it seemed he was okay, if highly annoyed that he had stumbled and made a mess of his papers. He pushed himself up to his knees and collected his things, muttering something under his breath.

Elsa guessed he wasn't saying something nice, even if she didn't understand anything.

She stepped back when he suddenly looked up at her. Brown, almond-shaped eyes blinked at her in surprise and widened before they quickly over her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked again, bending down and resting her hands on her knees to get a closer look at the guy. She started to wonder if he really was, because he looked rather gobsmacked. That was the correct term to describe the slack-jawed expression on his face, right?

"Ah—yeah! Yeah. I'm fine." The guy shook his head briskly as if to clear it. Elsa saw a flash of embarrassment cross his face, so she tried for a reassuring smile. "Here, let me help you with that," she offered, going down on her knees as well to help gather his scattered papers and things. She adjusted her gloves which attracted his attention, but thankfully he didn't say anything.

Elsa surreptitiously studied him out of the corner of her eye as she helped him. Underneath the cap he had black hair, an aquiline nose, and a strong jaw. He was cute, she supposed. Japanese-American, perhaps, considering that San Fransokyo had a sizable Japanese population.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered when she handed him his notes.

"It's no trouble," she replied, nodding and rising to her feet. "Do you have everything?" She was a little taken aback when he rose to his full height—a little over six feet, she guessed. Same as her father.

He bobbed his head in a jerky nod and grinned down at her. Though his grin was wide, there seemed to be an undercurrent of tension about him. Was she making him nervous? Why?

_I didn't…do anything, did I?_ she fretted.

"Absolutely," he asserted, his voice a touch too loud, probably to mask his apprehension. He stuffed his notes in his satchel and brushed off his jeans, presumably for her benefit. "See? I'm good." He grinned again.

For a moment the two of them stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Elsa resisted the urge to fiddle with her gloves—the fact that she wore a pair was unusual enough, and the last thing she needed was to call attention to it.

The guy cleared his throat. "Anyway, uh. Thanks. You know, for helping me and stuff." He rubbed the back of his neck, cluing her in that she really did make him uncomfortable, sinking her spirits a bit more. But as always, she didn't let her face betray her feelings. Elsa nodded to acknowledge his thanks.

"Good. You're welcome." She gave him another slight smile, intending to walk away.

"I'm Tadashi. Tadashi Hamada. And you are?

Elsa stopped and glanced back up at him. Why was he asking for her name? She made him uncomfortable, didn't she? Did he have some kind of agenda? And besides, she was here to study, not make friends. This guy—Tadashi—he—

"Elsa Arendahl," she found herself saying.

Maybe it was his earnest brown eyes. Or his crooked smile when he introduced himself—it was cute the way one corner of his mouth was higher than the other when he did. It was genuine and friendly, which had probably disarmed her enough to introduce herself too.

Tadashi nodded. "Nice to meet you, Elsa."

She liked the sound of his voice—a warm, slightly raspy baritone. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but she guessed that the slight frown she was feeling between her eyebrows was probably making her look standoffish. Just as well, because she wasn't in SFIT to make friends. "Take care, Tadashi," she said, spinning on her heel to walk away.

Elsa sighed and shook her head. No surprise there over how awkward she had been with him—after all, she did spend years trying to keep away from people. Normally she would have shrugged it off, but this time it bugged her like a pebble in her shoe.

The sound of running footsteps alerted her, and she had barely turned her head when Tadashi sped past her. A jolt of awareness shot through her when his brown eyes zeroed in on hers. "Hi and bye, Elsa!" he tossed over his shoulder, waving.

When was the last time someone had been that happy to see her? She couldn't remember, and Tadashi's happiness over seeing her had unhinged her jaw slightly with disbelief. He had only just met her—there was no way…

_Don't be ridiculous, _she berated herself mentally. Shaking her head again to clear it of such thoughts, Elsa decided to head home and fill out the forms the registrar gave her.

_Probably check out what's on Netflix, too._

_You're here in San Fransokyo to study, not make friends. You'd best remember that._


End file.
